Black Bottom (also known as Paradise Valley) was a predominantly African-American neighborhood in Detroit, Michigan where black migrants from the South were forced to live because of deed restrictions that made it illegal for them to own or rent property in most of the city. An African American is a U.S. citizen who is socially perceived as being at least part black, especially one with ancestors imported to America during slavery. ... Nickname: Motor City, Motown, Hockey Town Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (Latin for, We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes) Official website: www. ... This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ...

It was demolished in the mid 1960s as part of urban renewal, and was replaced by the Chrysler Freeway (Interstate 75) and Lafayette Park, a mixed-income development designed by Mies van der Rohe as a model neighborhood combining residential townhouses, apartments and high-rises with commercial areas. Black Bottom was located on Detroit's East Side, was approximately 0.5 mile² (1.3 km²) in area, and was bounded by Gratiot Avenue, Brush Street, Vernor Highway, and the Grand Trunk railroad tracks. Its main commercial strips were on Hastings and St. Antoine streets. The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1961 to 1970, inclusive. ... Blight often stands side-by-side with new structures during urban renewal efforts. ... Location of Interstate 75 Interstate 75 (abbreviated I-75) is an interstate highway in the midwest and southeastern United States. ... Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (born Maria Ludwig Michael Mies) (March 27, 1886 - August 17, 1969) was an architect and designer. ...

Black Bottom was the cultural and economic heart of the Black community in Detroit from the 1920s through its demolition. Most of the residents, as a result of urban renewal, were displaced ended up in large public housing projects such as the Brewster Homes and Jeffries Homes. Black is a color with several subtle differences in meaning. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Social issues of the 1920s. ... Blight often stands side-by-side with new structures during urban renewal efforts. ... A local authority tower block in Cwmbrân, South Wales Public housing or project homes is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. ...

Hastings Street, which ran north-south through Black Bottom, was the center of Eastern European Jewish settlement before World War I, but in the ensuing years it was transformed into a vibrant African-American community with business, sociability, night life, and underworld activity. It became nationally famous for its music scene: major blues singers, big bands, and jazz artists—such as like Duke Ellington, Billy Eckstine, Pearl Bailey, Ella Fitzgerald, and Count Basie—regularly performed in the bars and clubs of Paradise Valley entertainment district. Eastern Europe is, by convention, a region defined geographically as that part of Europe covering the eastern part of the continent. ... Jews (Hebrew: יהודים, Yehudim) are followers of Judaism or, more generally, members of the Jewish people (also known as the Jewish nation, or the Children of Israel), an ethno-religious group descended from the ancient Israelites and converts who joined their religion. ... Combatants Allies: Serbia, Russia, France, Romania, Belgium, British Empire, United States, Italy, and others Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead: 5 million Civilian deaths: 3 million Total of dead: 8 million Military dead: 4 million Civilian deaths: 3 million Total dead: 7 million The First... An African American is a U.S. citizen who is socially perceived as being at least part black, especially one with ancestors imported to America during slavery. ... Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy Duke Ellington (April 29, 1899–May 24, 1974), also known simply as Duke (see Jazz royalty), was an American jazz composer, pianist, and bandleader. ... Billy Eckstine (8 July 1914 – 8 March 1993), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as William Clarence Eckstein. ... Pearl Bailey in “St. ... Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996), also known as Lady Ella (the First Lady of Song), was an American singer, considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th Century, alongside Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan. ... William Count Basie (August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was a jazz pianist, organist, and bandleader. ...

Before the Civil Rights Movement began to change Northern segregation in the 1960s, "Negroes" could be thrown in jail if they were seen by the police west of Woodward Avenue—Detroit's main street, which divides the east and west sides of the city. Hastings Street had one of the highest concentrations of black-owned businesses in the United States, and the neighborhood was full of run-down and expensive apartments and multi-family homes owned by Caucasian landlords, with a mix of classes and backgrounds so typical to the urban Black communities of the time. Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1961 to 1970, inclusive. ... Negro means black in the Spanish, Portuguese and ancient Italian languages, being derived from the Latin word niger of the same meaning. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Black Bottom suffered more than most areas during the Great Depression since so many of the wage earners worked in the hard-hit auto factories of Detroit. During World War II both the economic activity and the physical decay of Black Bottom rapidly increased, and in the 1960s, the City of Detroit conducted an urban renewal program to combat what it called "urban blight" that bulldozed Black Bottom. The Great Depression was a worldwide economic downturn, starting in 1929 and lasting through most of the 1930s. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II...

Other historical Detroit black neighborhoods include Conant Gardens, Russell Woods, and Elmwood Park.

External links

• Lafayette Park/Mies van der Rohe Historic District
• Black History in Detroit : From GM to Motown