Idlewild: The Rise, Decline, and Rebirth of a Unique African American Resort Town - Softcover

Stephens, Ronald J.

  • 4.17 out of 5 stars
    6 ratings by Goodreads
 
9780472035908: Idlewild: The Rise, Decline, and Rebirth of a Unique African American Resort Town
Softcover
ISBN 10: 0472035908 ISBN 13: 9780472035908
Publisher: UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN REGIONAL, 2013

Synopsis


In 1912, white land developers founded Idlewild, an African American resort community in western Michigan. Over the following decades, the town became one of the country’s foremost vacation destinations for the black middle class, during its peak drawing tens of thousands of visitors annually and hosting the era’s premier entertainers, such as The Four Tops, Della Reese, Brook Benton, and George Kirby. With the civil rights movement and the resulting expansion of recreation options available to African Americans, Idlewild suffered a sharp social and economic decline, and by the early 1980s the town had become a struggling retirement community in the midst of financial and political crises.

Meticulously researched and unearthing never-before-seen historical material, Ronald J. Stephens’s book examines the rapid rise and decline of this pivotal landmark in African American and leisure history, in the process exploring intersections among race, class, tourism, entertainment, and historic preservation in the United States. Featuring a wealth of fieldwork on contemporary Idlewild, the book also takes a candid look at recent revitalization efforts and analyzes the possibilities for a future resurgence of this national treasure.

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About the Author

Ronald J. Stephens is professor of African American Studies in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies of the College of Liberal Arts at Purdue University. A leading Idlewild scholar, Dr. Stephens has contributed to numerous programs on the resort, including Ted Talbert’s award-winning documentary Idlewild: A Place in the Sun, an edition of Tony Brown’s Journal, and an NPR production.

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Publisher
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN REGIONAL
Publication date
2013
Language
English
ISBN 10 
0472035908
ISBN 13 
9780472035908
Binding
Paperback
Number of pages
420
Rating
  • 4.17 out of 5 stars
    6 ratings by Goodreads

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9780472118793: Idlewild: The Rise, Decline, and Rebirth of a Unique African American Resort Town

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  047211879X ISBN 13:  9780472118793
Publisher: UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN REGIONAL, 2013
Hardcover