Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences 8th grader TaRon Ivory is handed a bag containing his graduation certificate and t-shirt during a drive-thru graduation in Detroit on June 17, 2020. The school did three graduation drive-thru ceremonies due to COVID-19 which was unlike the normal one they would have in an auditorium at Wayne State University. One hundred thirty 8th grade graduates were given their certificates and the opportunity to be celebrated before going to high school next year.
Ryan Garza, Detroit Free Press

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Changing the narrative. Bringing you the real voices of Detroit.

After her lunch was taken as a kid, Brianna Kennedy developed a hunger for helping others

Growing up, the items inside Brianna Kennedy’s pink lunch box had all the makings of a nutritious meal.

What she didn't know, at the time, is that those lunches also would provide a very valuable lesson that would shape the rest of her life.

You see, for a period of time, those tasty peanut butter or ham sandwiches, along with the crackers and cheese and the Jell-O, weren't reaching Kennedy’s stomach.  

A lifelong desire to help others and "keep an eye out for people who are not able to speak for themselves" helped 27-year-old University of Michigan-Flint graduate student Brianna Kennedy earn a scholarship from Community Choice Credit Union.
A lifelong desire to help others and "keep an eye out for people who are not able to speak for themselves" helped 27-year-old University of Michigan-Flint graduate student Brianna Kennedy earn a scholarship from Community Choice Credit Union. Image provided by Tom Lang

Kennedy was in kindergarten. And she was experiencing her first encounter with a bully. Her tormentor would snatch the lunch box and scarf down whatever was in it, daily.

Kennedy's experience at the now-closed Southfield public school took place during the early 2000s. However, the lesson Kennedy learned helps to explain why she is literally wise beyond her years today. And she's delighted to share her wisdom and energy in a variety of ways that enrich multiple communities, including serving as a mentor for the nonprofit, Detroit-based W.I.S.E. (Women Inspiring Supporting and Empowering) Mentoring Program. 

As a kindergarten student at the old Fred D. Leonhard Elementary School in Southfield, Brianna Kennedy had her lunch taken by a "bully" on multiple occasions. Kennedy's response, with help from her mother, launched Kennedy on a lifelong mission to give to others, which earned her a special scholarship.
As a kindergarten student at the old Fred D. Leonhard Elementary School in Southfield, Brianna Kennedy had her lunch taken by a "bully" on multiple occasions. Kennedy's response, with help from her mother, launched Kennedy on a lifelong mission to give to others, which earned her a special scholarship. Photo provided by Brianna Kennedy

“I didn’t understand it at first, but that lunch experience (at Fred D. Leonhard Elementary School) was the beginning of the red thread that connects who I am today as someone who is always wanting to give back; always wanting to help, not just in my community, but other communities as well,” the now-27-year-old Kennedy said.

All thanks to those ruined lunches. And her mother. Shiree Kennedy immediately put an end to the lunch dilemma once it was brought to her attention by sending her daughter to school with two lunches for an extended period of time.

“I was complaining about the boy stealing my lunch, and my mother explained that he was taking my food because he didn’t have food at home," Kennedy revealed. “My mom would always give it to me on an adult level, and she explained that the boy was a foster child and was the smallest child in his household. And that instilled in me at a young age to keep an eye out for people who are not able to speak for themselves.” 

Kennedy spoke Wednesday morning, a week before she is scheduled to begin a liberal studies graduate program at the University of Michigan-Flint. A portion of her college expenses are being paid for by a scholarship she received from Community Choice Credit Union, which selected Kennedybecause of her past history of “giving big” to others and future plans to “create positive change in her community.” Given Kennedy’s giving-back DNA, it really came as no surprise that instead of describing the adventures she will be diving into on a new campus, she preferred to talk about vision board parties, money management programs and other events that she will be participating in away from campus with mentees from the W.I.S.E. Mentoring Program, which brings together and enriches teenage girls from across the metro area, including the east and west sides of Detroit.  

"It's so important to build community wherever you go and work with people that have similar values and goals," says Brianna Kennedy (far left). Kennedy takes pride in the community she has built with fellow mentors through the nonprofit W.I.S.E. Mentoring Program including Kristin Ortiz; CEO Chantel Taylor; Starla Hairston; Teairrah Knott; and Amari D. The mentors lend their time and talents in support of area teenage girls, including girls representing the east and west sides of Detroit.
"It's so important to build community wherever you go and work with people that have similar values and goals," says Brianna Kennedy (far left). Kennedy takes pride in the community she has built with fellow mentors through the nonprofit W.I.S.E. Mentoring Program including Kristin Ortiz; CEO Chantel Taylor; Starla Hairston; Teairrah Knott; and Amari D. The mentors lend their time and talents in support of area teenage girls, including girls representing the east and west sides of Detroit. Image provided by Brianna Kennedy

“I graduated from (Birmingham) Marian, a predominantly white school (for girls). So, the W.I.S.E. program connects me more with young women that look like me. And each time I meet a new mentee, I can’t wait to ask: ‘What do you want to do?’ ‘What are your interests?’ " Kennedy explained. “And from there, it’s about learning that if you put your passion into something and form connections, life will work with you. 

“I’m also totally transparent that a path doesn’t have to be linear. Some people are able to go straight through school, but other people, like me, took a break. So I’m able to talk to the young women about what education looks like when you’re an adult, and the importance of staying focused on finding a way to achieve your goals and dreams.”

Through her graduate program, Kennedy, who earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology at the University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus, will be studying the effects of gentrification over the past four decades on “Black and brown youth sports.” On Wednesday, Kennedy made the topic come to life from a social and economic standpoint by citing the important role that organizations like Detroit PAL and the Motor City Track Club have played historically in producing outstanding athletes, while contributing to neighborhood stability at an affordable cost for families.   

“Olympians have to start somewhere,” Kennedy says, adding that she applies lessons learned growing up through karate, track and field and golf to virtually everything she does today. “As Detroit’s population changes, will there be families that are priced out of youth sports? That’s a very important issue for me and I want to be a voice for youth because I know how much sports have meant to my life.” 

Brianna Kennedy (center) has experience success as a University of Michigan student and as a tutor of incoming U-M students in the Summer Bridge Scholars Program. In May 2024, she celebrated with Jordan Johnson (left) and Jachin Ammons--two former Summer Bridge Scholars--on Ammons' graduation day.
Brianna Kennedy (center) has experience success as a University of Michigan student and as a tutor of incoming U-M students in the Summer Bridge Scholars Program. In May 2024, she celebrated with Jordan Johnson (left) and Jachin Ammons--two former Summer Bridge Scholars--on Ammons' graduation day. Image provided by Brianna Kennedy

And if Kennedy says she will be a voice for Black and brown families in the youth sports arena, it is a good bet it will be done in the same vigorous and enthusiastic way she has approached other missions that have been important to her, including leading a caregiver summit for a national nonprofit; helping the University of Michigan’s Office of University Development increase awareness of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts; tutoring incoming college students; teaching golf to children from Detroit and Southfield, and more.  

Then there is the work that Kennedy has done with the Michigan Parent Teacher Association’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Outreach Team, which may best explain how the proud daughter of Shiree and Brian Kennedy — and big sister to Brian Jr. — never sees barriers when it comes to making a difference in any space she occupies. 

“No, I’m not a teacher and I’m not a student, I’m just someone who cares about education and I want to make sure that it is equitable and available to everyone,” said Kennedy, who since 2020 has used her Michigan PTA affiliation to advocate for increased physical activity for kids in school, and free breakfast and lunch, which will once again be an option for all students attending public schools in Michigan regardless of income during the 2024-25 school year. “And I’m someone who takes care of my neighbors, friends and community. It’s so important to build community wherever you go and work with people that have similar values and goals. You’re not alone, and you can’t make change alone.” 

Brianna Kennedy shared a happy moment with Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II during a 2019 graduation ceremony at the University of Michigan. Kennedy's educational and service journey continues, as she begins a liberal studies graduate program at the University of Michigan-Flint on August 28.
Brianna Kennedy shared a happy moment with Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II during a 2019 graduation ceremony at the University of Michigan. Kennedy's educational and service journey continues, as she begins a liberal studies graduate program at the University of Michigan-Flint on August 28. Image provided by Brianna Kennedy

Scott Talley is a native Detroiter, a proud product of Detroit Public Schools and a lifelong lover of Detroit culture in its diverse forms. In his second tour with the Free Press, which he grew up reading as a child, he is excited and humbled to cover the city’s neighborhoods and the many interesting people who define its various communities. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @STalleyfreep. Read more of Scott's stories at www.freep.com/mosaic/detroit-is/. Please help us grow great community-focused journalism by becoming a subscriber. 

Detroit video production teacher Rachel Simone grew up at WDIV

How a Montclair radio station broadcasts an endless loop of Boyz II Men
George Louvis, who operates WVRM, is known for playing an endless loop of "I'll Make Love to You" by Boyz II Men.
Courtesy of George Louvis

To best understand the work Rachel Simone performed this summer at the Lloyd H. Diehl Boys & Girls Club and why it means so much to her, it requires knowing a little something about Simone’s backstory. 

This backstory, with multiple chapters dating to the late 1980s, has taken place primarily in the city of Detroit and in metro Detroit. It includes extensive time Simone spent as a child at the downtown studios of WDIV-TV, the workplace of her father Randy Henry, a longtime Local 4 producer/director. 

More: After 39-year run at WDIV, Detroiter Randy Henry is excited about working with 'Bricks'

Rachel Simone (far left), as she sat with her daughter Simone McCants, father Randy Henry and mother Carmen Henry on Nov. 24, 2021, a day before Thanksgiving. Rachel Simone says lessons that she learned as child from watching her parents at work, including holidays spent at the downtown Detroit studios of WDIV-TV (Channel 4), prepared her for work she performs today as a producer/director.
Rachel Simone (far left), as she sat with her daughter Simone McCants, father Randy Henry and mother Carmen Henry on Nov. 24, 2021, a day before Thanksgiving. Rachel Simone says lessons that she learned as child from watching her parents at work, including holidays spent at the downtown Detroit studios of WDIV-TV (Channel 4), prepared her for work she performs today as a producer/director. Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press

About 20 minutes away from WDIV — by car — at a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Building located at 20500 Civic Center Drive in Southfield, a young Simone also often could be found watching her mother Carmen Henry train colleagues as a manager for the large health insurance provider. 

More than a face in the crowd, Rachel Simone (bottom row, far right) developed a passion for reading, writing and storytelling as a young elementary school student at Bates Academy in Detroit. And this summer Simone, now a professional storyteller, shared her passion with Detroit teens at the Lloyd H. Diehl Boys & Girls Club.
More than a face in the crowd, Rachel Simone (bottom row, far right) developed a passion for reading, writing and storytelling as a young elementary school student at Bates Academy in Detroit. And this summer Simone, now a professional storyteller, shared her passion with Detroit teens at the Lloyd H. Diehl Boys & Girls Club. Photo provided by Rachel Simone

And then there were the many days, weeks, months and years that Simone spent in northwest Detroit as a student at Bates Academy — during the days when the school was located on Greenlawn — and Renaissance High School (Class of 2006), in classrooms that provided her with continuous moments of joy and discovery, particularly when Simone was given an opportunity to read, write and tell stories. 

Add all of those experiences together and it comes as no surprise that Simone is elated and proud to teach Detroit teens the art of storytelling through video production training.

"I grew up at Channel 4," says Rachel Simone, who as a little girl accompanied her father, Randy Henry, to the WDIV studios on many occasions, where she observed production operations from the control room. Today, following in the footsteps of her father, the 36-year-old Simone is a professional producer/director, and this summer she shared her talents with Detroit youths at a place she knows well--the Lloyd H. Diehl Boys & Girls Club.
"I grew up at Channel 4," says Rachel Simone, who as a little girl accompanied her father, Randy Henry, to the WDIV studios on many occasions, where she observed production operations from the control room. Today, following in the footsteps of her father, the 36-year-old Simone is a professional producer/director, and this summer she shared her talents with Detroit youths at a place she knows well--the Lloyd H. Diehl Boys & Girls Club. Photo provided by Rachel Simone

“I grew up at (WDIV) Channel 4; we literally stayed up there,” recalls the now 36-year-old Simone, whose father on most days worked a 3 a.m.-noon shift that aligned with the support he provided to WDIV’s morning newscasts and other programming. “Weekends, half-days at school, holidays and special days like elections, I was often at the station, where I spent time in the green room and the control room, as well as the studio area where the lottery broadcasts were done and the game show ("Fame & Fortune" and "Megabucks Giveaway" hosted by Chuck Gaidica.) 

More: He made quick pivot to Harris while staying focused on serving Detroit

“But then I also spent a lot of time at my mother’s job at Blue Cross. So, from a young age, I understood what my father and mother did on their jobs. And while everybody knows about Renaissance, Bates (from kindergarten through eighth grade) really prepared me for my career, too.”  

As an “entertainment industry program partner” for the Grow Detroit’s Young Talent (GDYT) summer youth employment program, during July and August, Simone called upon her background and passion to teach a group at the Lloyd H. Diehl Boys & Girls Club at 4242 Collingwood. On Aug. 7, Simone was proud to whip out a crew list showing the jobs each team member was currently performing, including: Symphony Bland and Gabriel Sharp, editors; Robert Carr-el, camera operator; Joselyn Disla, production designer; Langston Howard, marketing manager; Winter Jefferson, producer; Eviaon Knox, key grip; Kendall Townsend, host, and a second host known simply as Lexy. And if everything goes as Simone has planned, each of the nine participants will have performed every role when the class concludes.  

"It's just important that everyone in the class gets to try everything," says Detroit's Rachel Simone about teens she has taught video production to at the Lloyd H. Diehl Boys & Girls Club through the Grow Detroit's Young Talent summer youth employment program. The production roles that students learned to perform as they created talk show podcasts included: camera operator, editor, production designer, marketing manager, producer, key grip and host.
"It's just important that everyone in the class gets to try everything," says Detroit's Rachel Simone about teens she has taught video production to at the Lloyd H. Diehl Boys & Girls Club through the Grow Detroit's Young Talent summer youth employment program. The production roles that students learned to perform as they created talk show podcasts included: camera operator, editor, production designer, marketing manager, producer, key grip and host. Photo provided by Dayton Minniefield

“There is no one teaching production the way I’m doing it,” declared Simone, known also in creative circles as "Producer Bae," whose more than 10 years of experience during her adult years has included freelance production work in support of A&E’s “Cold Case Files,” “The Randi Rossario Show” and “The Closer;” plus, Dave Chappelle’s 2021 stand-up comedy special. “It’s just important that everyone in the class gets to try everything because of the way content is created today. Now, you don’t have to wait to be in the industry; you can be in the fourth grade and be a reporter with a platform.”  

For the record, Simone did not work with fourth graders this summer. The students that she trained and mentored at the Lloyd H. Diehl Club — the same place where Simone regularly played games and devoured the club's go-to treat, sugar cookies, as a kid — ranged in age from 14 to 17. However, a clue that Simone has made a positive impression with her students can be gathered from one word that they have begun calling her, "professor." The new title bestowed on her by highly engaged students is something not taken lightly by Simone, who, while going down memory lane on the afternoon of Aug. 6, fondly described Christmas parties she attended at WDIV, which allowed her to be up-close and personal with station personalities she admired and felt a kinship with, including longtime evening news anchor Carmen Harlan, the pride of Mumford High School; Paul Gross, who became WDIV's first ever meteorologist emeritus at the time of his retirement in 2023, and the station's current award-winning news anchor Devin Scillian. But even during those moments, Simone says, she was influenced even more by some other special adults that continue to guide her today. 

“I can still remember vividly when I learned how to read in kindergarten, in Ms. Watts’ class,” Simone, whose continued love for reading and research is reflected by weekly trips she makes to the Sherwood Forest and Lincoln branch libraries in Detroit, said. “Once I learned how to read, no one could stop me. And that is something I have shared with students in class.

“Then, I had Ms. Gibson at Bates and Ms. Davis at Renaissance for English; they both taught us how to stand in our power and tell our story.” 

If there has been a twinkle in Simone's eye, and extra pep in her step on days following big news announcements this summer, she says it goes back to experiences growing up when her dad sometimes had to leave after-school activities that Simone participated in at Bates and Renaissance — including band, basketball and track and field — to help WDIV cover breaking news that required "all hands on deck." But unlike her father, who had 39 years to make his mark at WDIV before retiring in 2021, Simone was only given from July 9 through Aug. 16 to teach her class this summer at the Lloyd H. Diehl club. During that time, Simone’s students created 15-minute talk show podcasts highlighting other industry clubs that GDYT participants have been exposed to at the Club through the summer employment program, including fashion, entrepreneurship and esports. And while the time Simone was given to be with the students is relatively short, she is hopeful that the impact of their collaborative effort can be lasting, particularly when it comes to storytelling. 

"Everybody on the outside has their version of Detroit, but the story that only Detroiters can tell is that we love each other," stated Rachel Simone, who often works on her storytelling craft at home within walking distance of where she attended Bates Academy in northwest Detroit.
"Everybody on the outside has their version of Detroit, but the story that only Detroiters can tell is that we love each other," stated Rachel Simone, who often works on her storytelling craft at home within walking distance of where she attended Bates Academy in northwest Detroit. Photo provided by Rachel Simone

“Everybody on the outside has their version of Detroit. But the story that only Detroiters can tell is that we love each other,” said Simone, who routinely used the first 20 minutes of each class to chat with the students about current events, the importance of voting and other issues that touch their lives, including why taxes were taken out of their paychecks. “For me, Detroit has always meant family, community, pride and safety. Growing up, if my parents were away, we (Simone, Simone's twin Eric, and their older sister RanDee) could go to our neighbors' house and feel safe. The Boys & Girls Club provided that same kind of safety — then and now. Inside these doors, everything is good.

"And for these students in the class, they’re in a position to control who they are by using their voices to tell their own stories, about their own real Detroit experiences. Because if you don't, someone else can make you into something that you’re not.” 

Scott Talley is a native Detroiter, a proud product of Detroit Public Schools and a lifelong lover of Detroit culture in its diverse forms. In his second tour with the Free Press, which he grew up reading as a child, he is excited and humbled to cover the city’s neighborhoods and the many interesting people who define its various communities. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @STalleyfreep. Read more of Scott's stories at www.freep.com/mosaic/detroit-is/. Please help us grow great community-focused journalism by becoming a subscriber. 

Detroit boxer Howell King dismissed from 1936 Olympics was ‘injustice’

Featherweight Jahmal Harvey wants to end Olympic gold medal drought for US men in boxing
American men haven't won an Olympic gold medal since 2004, but Jahmal Harvey, with his aggressive style, might be the best shot for the U.S.

The boxers who have vied for medals and glory at the 2024 Paris Olympics are hoping to build on a rich legacy that, at times, has had a little Detroit flavor.

For example, Detroit natives Frank Tate and the late Steve McCrory, representing the Motor City's fabled Kronk Gym, battled their way to gold medals in the light-middleweight and flyweight divisions, respectively, at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.    

However, at perhaps the most infamous Olympic Games in history, one Detroit boxer never got his opportunity to make his mark in the ring. 

That boxer was Howell King. 

At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where legendary runner Jesse Owens registered what many called a “blow to the Nazi myth of Aryan supremacy” by winning four gold medals (100 meters, 200 meters, the long jump and the 4x100-meter relay) in track and field events, King — a protege of fabled Detroit boxing coach Atler Ellis at Detroit’s Brewster Center — was not allowed to throw a blow of any kind. 

Detroit native Howell King was the 1936 Detroit Free Press Golden Gloves champion in the welterweight division and he also earned a spot on the 1936 U.S. Olympic boxing team. But despite what King had earned in the ring, he was not given a chance to represent his country at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Detroit native Howell King was the 1936 Detroit Free Press Golden Gloves champion in the welterweight division and he also earned a spot on the 1936 U.S. Olympic boxing team. But despite what King had earned in the ring, he was not given a chance to represent his country at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Photo provided by Deborah Riley Draper

“He was a teen on a boat with 400 athletes that traveled from America to ‘Nazi Germany,’" Deborah Riley Draper, who wrote, directed and produced the 2016 film “Olympic Pride, American Prejudice,” explained as she described King’s journey to Berlin as a 17-year-old. He had earned the trip after defeating Chicago’s Chester Ruteski in the final of the 147-pound class at the U.S. Boxing Tryouts tournament on May 20, 1936, at Chicago Stadium.      

King’s fate after he arrived in Berlin was summarized by the boxer himself — to the best of his youthful ability — in an Aug. 15, 1936, article written by W. T. Patrick Jr. for the Detroit Tribune.

“I really don’t know why I was sent home, but I think that they just didn’t want me to fight because they didn’t want too many Negro athletes over there,” King was quoted as saying in the story. He also denied that he had been seasick or had broken any team rules or laws, which were some of the excuses — along with homesickness — that had been floated to explain his dismissal from the team by U.S. Olympic officials.

And such was life for King, who was one of 18 Black athletes that had overcome challenges — in, and especially out of the athletic arena, during the Jim Crow era — to earn highly coveted spots on the 1936 U.S. Olympic Team. As highlighted in Draper's film, several Black athletes in that group of 18 — not just Jesse Owens — won medals at the Berlin Olympics, including: boxing silver medalist, Jackie Wilson, (bantamweight); 800-meter gold medal runner, John Woodruff; 400-meter gold medal runner, Archie Williams; high jump gold medalist, Cornelius Johnson; high jump silver medalist, David Albritton; 400-meter bronze medalist, Jimmy LuValle; 100-meter hurdles bronze medalist, Fritz Pollard Jr.; 200-meter silver medalist, Mack Robinson — big brother of MLB barrier-breaker, Jackie Robinson, and Ralph Metcalfe, who, after placing second to Detroit’s Eddie Tolan (Cass Technical High School, University of Michigan) in a photo finish in the 100-meter final at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, returned to the Olympics in 1936 to capture a silver (100-meter dash) and gold medal (4x100-meter relay). 

The group, affectionately called "The Black Eagles" by the Pittsburgh Courier, also boasted Black men and women that soared in life after the Berlin Olympics. A sampling includes, Albritton, an Ohio state representative; LuValle, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of UCLA who helped the Eastman Kodak Company advance color film processing techniques; Metcalfe, a World War II Army veteran, college instructor, longtime Chicago alderman and co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus; Woodruff, who retired from the Army in 1957 as a lieutenant colonel; Williams, a pilot, flight instructor and trainer of Tuskegee Airmen, and Tidye Pickett, a hurdler at the Berlin Olympics, who became a principal at a school in East Chicago Heights, Illinois, that later was renamed in her honor.  

Then there was Howell King’s story, which played out much differently. 

Without an Olympic medal or even an actual Olympic fight record on his resume, King, who had been joined on the 1936 U.S. Olympic boxing team by two alternates from Detroit — featherweight Jimmy Urso and light heavyweight Willis Johnson — forged ahead as a professional fighter. From Oct. 12, 1936, through April 2, 1946, King fought professionally and ground out a record of 45 wins, 23 losses and 1 draw. Ironically, King, who, according to one of the boxing officials connected to his 1936 Olympic dismissal, was supposedly "too homesick to be of any further value to the team in any capacity," made a choice to leave Detroit and head east to launch his professional boxing career. And it was on the East Coast where King’s life came to an end, when he was stabbed to death on May 21, 1949, in Buffalo — four months shy of his 31st birthday. 

Howell King (right), as he appeared in 1936 around the time of the Berlin Olympics, will forever be connected in Olympic history to Joe Church, from Batavia, New York. King, who earned the right to represent the United States in the boxing competition as a welterweight, and Church (left), who made the trip to Berlin as an alternate featherweight on the U.S. boxing team, were sent home by U.S. Olympic officials despite the fact that there was no evidence that King had committed any wrongdoing with Church or anyone else.
Howell King (right), as he appeared in 1936 around the time of the Berlin Olympics, will forever be connected in Olympic history to Joe Church, from Batavia, New York. King, who earned the right to represent the United States in the boxing competition as a welterweight, and Church (left), who made the trip to Berlin as an alternate featherweight on the U.S. boxing team, were sent home by U.S. Olympic officials despite the fact that there was no evidence that King had committed any wrongdoing with Church or anyone else. Photo provided by Deborah Riley Draper

“My heart was broken for this young man when I learned about his story,” said Draper, who spoke on July 30 about King's treatment in Berlin, which ended when he was ordered by officials with the U.S. Olympic boxing team to return to America on a ship before fighting an Olympic bout, along with Joe Church, of Batavia, New York, a featherweight alternate on the U.S. team, despite the fact that there was no evidence that King had committed any wrongdoing with Church or anyone else. “Mr. King was a very, very young man at the time he made the Olympic team, and it was such an injustice. It showed the uglier side of global politics. At 17 years old, he was a pawn in a scheme carried out by Avery Brundage (the Detroit-born, former head of the American Olympic Association, who opposed the proposed boycott of the 1936 Berlin Olympics pushed by human rights activists, and later served as International Olympic Committee president from 1952 through 1972), where the athletes were marginalized.” 

Draper, an award-winning filmmaker who's also known for “James Brown: Say It Loud (2024),” “The Legacy of Black Wall Street (2021), “Versailles ‘73 American Runway Revolution (2012), and more, brought to light the contributions to sports, diplomacy and civil rights made by the 18 Black Olympians through “Olympic Pride, American Prejudice,” which also inspired a book published in 2020. One of Draper's most dramatic findings involves the respect and kindness that Black members of the U.S. Olympic Team received in the Olympic Village and the surrounding community during the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

The 2016 film "Olympic Pride American Justice" tells the story of 18 Blacks that represented the United States at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. As the 2024 Paris Olympics take place, the 18 Black American Olympic team members from 1936, including Howell King a welterweight boxer from Detroit who was denied an opportunity to compete in the Olympic boxing ring, remain on the mind of filmmaker Deborah Riley Draper.
The 2016 film "Olympic Pride American Justice" tells the story of 18 Blacks that represented the United States at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. As the 2024 Paris Olympics take place, the 18 Black American Olympic team members from 1936, including Howell King a welterweight boxer from Detroit who was denied an opportunity to compete in the Olympic boxing ring, remain on the mind of filmmaker Deborah Riley Draper. Photo provided by Deborah Riley Draper

Still, as boxing victories and medals continue to be awarded through Aug. 10 during the Paris Olympics, the question that forever remains is: How would Detroit’s own Howell King have fared if he had been given a chance to represent the United States in the Olympic boxing ring at 147 pounds? Instead, Chester Ruteski was given King’s place on the team, even after King defeated Ruteski at the tryout and again during a match that King was made to fight on the spot aboard the SS Manhattan, as U.S. Olympic team members and alternates were being transported by sea to Germany. And while there is no way to determine how far King would have advanced at the 1936 Berlin Olympics if he had been allowed to fight, a description of King in the July 30, 1996, Detroit Free Press as a “fast, clever boxer with a telling punch,” seems to indicate that the world missed out on a great show.

“I was crushed by his story,” Draper said of King, who lived on Cardoni Street near Holbrook in Detroit around the same time he was winning the 1936 Detroit Free Press Golden Gloves welterweight championship. “But I hope that all of the 18 Black athletes that made the 1936 U.S. Olympic Team can receive as much ink as possible. It was more than a story about one magical ‘Negro;' there were other gold medal winners, and they also were scholars, politicians and other amazing people. It’s something that the world should know about."

Scott Talley is a native Detroiter, a proud product of Detroit Public Schools and a lifelong lover of Detroit culture in its diverse forms. In his second tour with the Free Press, which he grew up reading as a child, he is excited and humbled to cover the city’s neighborhoods and the many interesting people who define its various communities. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @STalleyfreep. Read more of Scott's stories at www.freep.com/mosaic/detroit-is/. Please help us grow great community-focused journalism by becoming a subscriber. 

He made quick pivot to Harris while staying focused on serving Detroit

President Joe Biden holds rally in Detroit
President Joe Biden held a rare rally in Detroit on Friday, July 12, 2024.

Arthur Harrington is a proud 2021 graduate of Detroit’s Cass Technical High School. But for a day, he was very excited to be seated inside one of Cass Tech’s friendly academic rivals — Renaissance High School. 

It was Friday, July 12, and Harrington was part of a spirited crowd that gathered at 6565 W. Outer Drive between Greenfield and Hubbell for a rally that supported the 2024 reelection campaign of President Joe Biden. 

When many among the thousands in attendance chanted: “Don’t you quit,” in support of Biden, Harrington’s voice joined in repeatedly, with more gusto each time. 

Fast-forward to 1:46 p.m. on Sunday, July 21. As the world was learning about President Biden’s historic withdrawal from the 2024 presidential campaign, along with his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris to head the Democratic ticket, the 22-year-old Harrington took a moment to examine his own inner feelings.

With support from the Coleman A. Young Foundation, Detroiter Arthur Harrington was able to complete two legislative internships on Capitol Hill, while attending Hampton University. The 22-year-old Harrington says he has been energized by Kamala Harris' presidential campaign, and he also is excited about giving back to Detroit through a variety of community initiatives.
With support from the Coleman A. Young Foundation, Detroiter Arthur Harrington was able to complete two legislative internships on Capitol Hill, while attending Hampton University. The 22-year-old Harrington says he has been energized by Kamala Harris' presidential campaign, and he also is excited about giving back to Detroit through a variety of community initiatives. Photo provided by Arthur Harrington

And the young man who grew up in the West Outer Drive neighborhood, near the Avenue of Fashion, liked his findings. 

“I love President Biden, but when I read the news on my phone, it felt in my heart like a breath of fresh air,” recalls Harrington, who came across the news shortly after coming out of a church service with his grandmother, Dr. Ernestine Harrington, 80 miles west of Detroit, in Jackson. “I said: ‘Oh my God, Grandma, he left the race.' Then I began thinking that the Democratic Party and the Democratic coalition is in prime position to win. When I got on Instagram Live that day, I had 200 people join me and I was saying that we must do everything we can to support Kamala Harris.” 

During his Instagram Live broadcast, Harrington explained that he happily answered questions about Harris’ qualifications to be president, in the same manner surrogates defend their political candidates on the Sunday morning political news shows. It was a task that Harrington certainly could not have been expecting when he accepted an invitation from his grandmother to join her for church, which led to Harrington riding an Amtrak train from Detroit to Jackson. However, the ability to complete important tasks in relatively short periods of time — even when challenges are thrown in — is a talent that the former Coleman A. Young Scholar has already demonstrated.  

For example, after graduating from Cass Tech, where Harrington also completed college courses through a dual enrollment program with the Wayne County Community College District, he had earned a year’s worth of college credits. And with college credits in hand, along with scholarship assistance, including a $20,000 scholarship from the Coleman A. Young Foundation (CAYF), Harrington began making plans to attend historic Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. But before his bags were packed, Harrington felt a real need to make a phone call. 

“My scholarships were going to cover my tuition, but I didn’t have any money after that,” explained Harrington, who was preparing to enter a private Historically Black University, which cost new students $42,798 to attend on campus for the 2023-24 school year according to the “Schedule of Fees” published by the university. “So I called the university’s admissions office and the woman I spoke to said she had never received a call from a student who had already been accepted. Afterward, she asked if I had received any scholarship money from Hampton. Then she said, because I stepped out on faith and called, that the university would give me $40,000 in scholarship money.

"It was a blessing and I give God all the glory and all the praise.” 

Harrington says he attempted to reward Hampton’s faith in him by locking in on his studies, which resulted in Harrington graduating within three years, as he walked across the stage during a commencement ceremony held this past Mother’s Day (May 12, 2024). As a student at Hampton, Harrington also completed legislative summer internships on Capitol Hill, serving in the offices of Democratic U.S. Sen. Gary Peters and Democratic congressman Shri Thanedar, both of Michigan. And just like Harrington needed some extra assistance to attend Hampton, he said another organization that had faith in him came through to make the legislative internship opportunities a reality. 

An unexpected additional $40,000 in scholarship money came Arthur Harrington's way after he made a call to the admission's office at Hampton University before he arrived as a student. The 2021 Cass Tech graduate repaid the university's trust by graduating in three years and now he is "ready to get involved" in community initiatives that uplift the city of Detroit.
An unexpected additional $40,000 in scholarship money came Arthur Harrington's way after he made a call to the admission's office at Hampton University before he arrived as a student. The 2021 Cass Tech graduate repaid the university's trust by graduating in three years and now he is "ready to get involved" in community initiatives that uplift the city of Detroit. Photo provided by Arthur Harrington

“I would not have been able to live in D.C. for those summers when I had the internships on Capitol Hill if not for the Coleman A. Young Foundation,” Harrington said about the foundation started by Detroit’s longest-serving mayor, which has provided scholarships to students from Detroit that have been accepted to colleges in Michigan or Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) since 1986. “The Coleman A. Young Foundation paid for me to live in D.C., and that was additional money beyond the $20,000 scholarship I received from them. They did that out of the trust they have in me.” 

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CAYF’s mission is to develop leadership among Detroit youths through college scholarships, mentoring and developmental services. Recipients of CAYF scholarships are encouraged to give back to their community after completing their education. And that comes naturally for Harrington.

"There's a change taking place and I want to be a part of it," says 22-year-old Hampton University graduate Arthur Harrington, who is passionate about Kamala Harris' presidential campaign, and equally excited about serving his hometown of Detroit through a variety of community initiatives.
"There's a change taking place and I want to be a part of it," says 22-year-old Hampton University graduate Arthur Harrington, who is passionate about Kamala Harris' presidential campaign, and equally excited about serving his hometown of Detroit through a variety of community initiatives. Photo provided by Arthur Harrington

“I told Mr. (Khary) Turner (CAYF executive director) as soon as I got back home in Detroit after graduation that I am ready to get involved,” said Harrington, who also earned a full-tuition Judge Damon J. Keith Scholarship, which he will use to attend the Wayne State University Law School this fall. “There’s a change taking place and I want to be a part of it, and there’s a need in our community for a youth uprising. Young Black men like me need to pour into younger Black men and young Black women.”

A day after Harrington was on Instagram Live talking up the Harris presidential campaign, he displayed his passion through another platform when he participated in the “Win with Black Men” video call on July 22, organized by journalist Roland Martin and his Black Star Network, in support of the Harris campaign. Martin reported that more than $1.3 million was raised from approximately 17,000 donors.

Martin’s records should show a donation from Harrington, who on the afternoon of July 23 was proud to describe how Black men “showed up and showed out,” just as Black women had done the evening before during a now well-publicized Zoom call in support of Harris. But moments later, Harrington spoke with equal enthusiasm about volunteer community work he is doing with the Cass Tech School Advisory Council, as well as a scholarship he plans to create in the near future for Cass Tech students. Harrington also was proud to talk about community service that he will be performing with his fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi. The joyful, detailed way Harrington described his upcoming agenda seemed to reveal that his brand of “giving back” will likely take place in many forms during the coming years, now that he is once again a full-time Detroiter. 

Detroiter Arthur Harrington, 22, says there is "a need in our community for a youth uprising." Among the issues the 2024 Hampton University graduate is passionate about is gun violence and what Congress is going to do to mitigate the problem. During 2022, Harrington spoke directly to Senator Ben Cardin from Maryland about the subject at a forum, while Harrington was attending Hampton.
Detroiter Arthur Harrington, 22, says there is "a need in our community for a youth uprising." Among the issues the 2024 Hampton University graduate is passionate about is gun violence and what Congress is going to do to mitigate the problem. During 2022, Harrington spoke directly to Senator Ben Cardin from Maryland about the subject at a forum, while Harrington was attending Hampton. Photo provided by Arthur Harrington

“I plan to be a campus organizer for any Kamala Harris event that takes place at Wayne State,” said Harrington, the proud son of Sherry Mattice and nephew of Kimberly and James Smith, who, in addition to his family, identified Khary Turner, Rotary Club of Detroit President Renee Yancy and Cass Tech Principal Lisa Phillips as his greatest supporters. “But with anything I do, I just want to help. Mentorship has been so important in everything that I have done. All of these people have believed in me, so honestly, I just want to be able to help my community in any way I can.” 

Scott Talley is a native Detroiter, a proud product of Detroit Public Schools and a lifelong lover of Detroit culture in its diverse forms. In his second tour with the Free Press, which he grew up reading as a child, he is excited and humbled to cover the city’s neighborhoods and the many interesting people who define its various communities. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @STalleyfreep. Read more of Scott's stories at www.freep.com/mosaic/detroit-is/. Please help us grow great community-focused journalism by becoming a subscriber. 

These 'mobilized' Detroit women share a sacred sisterhood and 'Link' to Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris speaks at Alpha Kappa Alpha convention in Dallas
Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center on Wednesday.
Fox - 4 News

At Tauntus Beauty Bar, the only store in Detroit that is licensed to sell “Divine Nine” clothing and other items associated with the historically Black Greek-letter organizations that are members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, there are more 6,000 pieces of merchandise ranging in price from $5 to $500 for shoppers to choose from online or at the store’s physical location at 18979 Livernois.  

However, for a period of time during a phone conversation on Monday afternoon, Tauntus co-owner Dennae Hawkins was locked in on one number — 1908.

“Our sorority was founded in 1908,” explained Hawkins, who pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha as an undergraduate student at Florida A&M University during the spring of 1989. “And during the 2020 presidential race, many members of our sorority began making contributions of $19.08 to support our (sorority) sister, Kamala Harris, on the Biden-Harris ticket, while honoring the founding of our sorority; you can read about it.”  

Dennae Hawkins (left) and Nadonya Muslim, co-owners of Tauntus Beauty Bar, the only store in Detroit that is licensed to sell "Divine Nine" clothing and other items, as they appeared on Oct. 3, 2023. Hawkins and Muslim have been making preparations to stock their store with enough items to meet the demands of customers seeking merchandise connected to the presidential election and Kamala Harris campaign.
Dennae Hawkins (left) and Nadonya Muslim, co-owners of Tauntus Beauty Bar, the only store in Detroit that is licensed to sell "Divine Nine" clothing and other items, as they appeared on Oct. 3, 2023. Hawkins and Muslim have been making preparations to stock their store with enough items to meet the demands of customers seeking merchandise connected to the presidential election and Kamala Harris campaign. Kimberly P. Mitchell, Detroit Free Press

Hawkins had campaign contributions on her mind because the native Detroiter said she was envisioning the number of contributions that rolled in from members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and women affiliated with other Black organizations during a Zoom call Sunday evening. The call was organized by Win With Black Women in support of the presidential campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, who pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha as an undergraduate student at Howard University in 1986. According to the organizing group of the Zoom call, more than $1.5 million was raised from the more than 44,000 participating women.  

Vice President Kamala Harris waves goodbye as she boards Air Force Two at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus after speaking at the TCF Center in downtown Detroit on Monday, July 12, 2021.
Vice President Kamala Harris waves goodbye as she boards Air Force Two at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus after speaking at the TCF Center in downtown Detroit on Monday, July 12, 2021. Ryan Garza, Detroit Free Press

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“As much as we talk smack about each other across our different Black organizations, we always respect each other. And right now, Kamala Harris belongs to all of us,” said an exurborant Hawkins, who operates Tauntus with co-owner Nadonya Muslim, a member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, another of the Divine Nine Black Greek organizations. “I’m sure that many of the women that made contributions did so in ways that honored the founding of their organizations, like the Deltas, who were founded in 1913.

"And with every contribution of any amount that came in from Black women as a result of that call, Black organizations and HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) were letting their presence be known.” 

And the swiftness of how the presence of Black women was felt — through the impact of a Zoom call that commenced less than seven hours after President Joe Biden’s historic withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race and his simultaneous endorsement of Harris as the Democratic presidential candidate on Sunday — seemed to have left Hawkins still awestruck on Monday afternoon.  

“The organizers of that call were able to mobilize more than 44,000 Black women in less than six hours!” Hawkins emphatically said. “And that call was by invitation only. I received invitations from three of my (sorority) line sisters, but think of the women that didn’t check their email on Sunday. ... And they still had that kind of participation! 

“It makes me proud to be a Black woman; proud to be a member of my sorority; and proud of all of the Black organizations that are coming together. There were women representing Divine Nine sororities, The Links, Jack & Jill, Top Ladies of Distinction and so many other service organizations. We have proven that an often overlooked group has tremendous influence in this country. And that we can mobilize in minutes.” 

Native Detroiter Dennae Hawkins, co-owner at Tauntus Beauty Bar on the Livernois Avenue of Fashion, as she appeared on Oct. 3, 2023. Hawkins, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, has been inspired by how the Kamala Harris presidential campaign has mobilized Black women across the country, including Detroit. "It makes me proud to be a Black woman, proud to be a member of my sorority, and proud of all of the organizations that are coming together," said Hawkins on July 22, 2024.
Native Detroiter Dennae Hawkins, co-owner at Tauntus Beauty Bar on the Livernois Avenue of Fashion, as she appeared on Oct. 3, 2023. Hawkins, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, has been inspired by how the Kamala Harris presidential campaign has mobilized Black women across the country, including Detroit. "It makes me proud to be a Black woman, proud to be a member of my sorority, and proud of all of the organizations that are coming together," said Hawkins on July 22, 2024. Kimberly P. Mitchell, Detroit Free Press

When the Zoom call began at 8 p.m. on Sunday, Hawkins was not on the call. But, she had an excellent excuse: She still was working through the night to ensure that her business will be able to fulfill the expected demands of enthusiastic customers that will be seeking merchandise connected to the election and the Harris campaign. 

“We want our sister to be selected to lead the ticket, and we want her to win. But as a business, we also have to stay on top of what is going on with the election and make sure we have everything that our customers are going to want,” explained Hawkins, who connects with her customers not only as a member of a Divine Nine sorority and graduate of an HBCU, but also as someone who grew up and currently lives in the neighborhood surrounding her business. “I was up designing shirts and Nadonya has been in contact with our T-shirt maker. We will have shirts relating to the election in the colors of all of the sororities and fraternities we serve. We’re also going to have items with ‘My Black Job Is...’ (a sarcastic retort to former President Donald Trump's assertion during the June debate with President Joe Biden that undocumented immigrants are taking "Black jobs.")

"There are still many decisions to make once we determine what people want, so we’re literally going along moment by moment as things occur during this campaign.” 

Hawkins says her business also is prepared to be engaged during the campaign season in ways that go beyond store merchandise.

“First and foremost, supporting the presidential campaign of Kamala Harris is a noble cause and we want to participate as much as we can,” said Hawkins, who said she spent part of Monday getting caught up on “assignment” items identified during the Zoom call and other information related to the Harris campaign, which included reading an email from her sorority about an upcoming massive, national voter mobilization campaign that will involve all of the Divine Nine sororities and fraternities. “Our store is too small to hold a rally. But in terms of being a pickup spot for banners and campaign materials, or being a location where voter registration can take place in front of our business — outside — we’re open to all of that.”

Alison Vaughn is the founder of the Detroit nonprofit Jackets For Jobs and a member of The Links Incorporated, an international nonprofit service organization whose membership of more than 17,000 professional women also includes Vice President Harris. Vaughn says she, too, looks forward to participating in an action-packed campaign season. Vaughn was able to get into Sunday’s Zoom call a little after 8:20 p.m. with help from her Links sister, Kim Trent, who is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority.

“The message during Sunday night’s call is that this train is moving and it’s not going to stop until we succeed in what we set out to accomplish,” said Vaughn, who, earlier in the day on Sunday, attended an Oakland County Democratic Party Membership Picnic at Drake Park. “When I finally got into the call, my reaction was: ‘Oh my God, this is wonderful!’ To hear all the speakers and to see all of the organizations that have been mobilized, it just shows how the participation of Black women makes a huge difference in our elections.”    

Alison Vaughn (left), a member of The Links Incorporated with Kimberly Keaton, the Detroit chapter president of The Links Incorporated, an international, nonprofit service organization whose membership of more than 17,000 professional women includes Vice President Kamala Harris. On July 27, "Our History, Our Story: The Detroit Chapter of The Links" exhibit will open to the public at the Detroit Historical Museum.
Alison Vaughn (left), a member of The Links Incorporated with Kimberly Keaton, the Detroit chapter president of The Links Incorporated, an international, nonprofit service organization whose membership of more than 17,000 professional women includes Vice President Kamala Harris. On July 27, "Our History, Our Story: The Detroit Chapter of The Links" exhibit will open to the public at the Detroit Historical Museum. Photo provided by Alison Vaughn

Vaughn spoke on Monday afternoon, five days before the exhibit ”Our History, Our Story: The Detroit Chapter of The Links” was scheduled to open to the public on July 27 at the Detroit Historical Museum. Vaughn says the exhibit will highlight local, regional and national accomplishments of The Links Incorporated, founded in 1946. The exhibit, which will be displayed on the museum's second floor, within the Robert and Mary Ann Bury Community Gallery, also will include a photo of Vice President Harris with information about her Links membership. And while the information about Harris will take up a relatively small part of the display, Vaughn made it clear that the likelihood of Harris heading the Democratic presidential ticket certainly adds to the significance of the exhibit in her eyes.

“Michele Peterson, our chapter’s operations manager and past archives chair, has been excited for a long time to have the community learn more about our organization. And now we have one of our own Links sisters going for the highest position in the land,” Vaughn said. “And many of our Links members are a part of the Divine Nine, including our Detroit chapter president, Kimberly Keaton, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha as well. So, we feel a sense of double duty to support Vice President Harris. I couldn’t think of a better time to show our community who we are than at this moment, when we have a Links member running for president.”  

The Links Incorporated, founded in 1946, is an international nonprofit service organization, whose membership of more than 17,000 professional women includes Vice President Kamala Harris. The Detroit chapter of The Links Incorporated, founded in 1951, is the presenter of "Our History, Our Story: The Detroit Chapter of The Links," an exhibit which opens to the public on July 27 at the Detroit Historical Museum.
The Links Incorporated, founded in 1946, is an international nonprofit service organization, whose membership of more than 17,000 professional women includes Vice President Kamala Harris. The Detroit chapter of The Links Incorporated, founded in 1951, is the presenter of "Our History, Our Story: The Detroit Chapter of The Links," an exhibit which opens to the public on July 27 at the Detroit Historical Museum. Photo provided by the Detroit Historical Museum

Scott Talley is a native Detroiter, a proud product of Detroit Public Schools and a lifelong lover of Detroit culture in its diverse forms. In his second tour with the Free Press, which he grew up reading as a child, he is excited and humbled to cover the city’s neighborhoods and the many interesting people who define its various communities. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @STalleyfreep. Read more of Scott's stories at www.freep.com/mosaic/detroit-is/. Please help us grow great community-focused journalism by becoming a subscriber.