Ann Street Black Business District
For most of the twentieth century, the 100 block of East Ann Street was a hub for Black-owned businesses in downtown Ann Arbor. A rotating set of barber shops, shoe shine parlors, dry cleaners, restaurants, blues bars, and pool rooms formed the backbone of Black social life, especially for men. The district stretched around the corner onto North Fourth Avenue where the Colored Welfare League housed Black-owned businesses and community organizations such as the early Dunbar Center.
Johnnie Rush in Barber Shop, November 1960
Year:
1960
Ann Arbor News, November 4, 1960
Caption:
John Rush: "Some say they don't see why the County Building and the city hall couldn't have been combined."
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Johnnie Rush in Barber Shop, November 1960
Year:
1960
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Honoring Her Heritage: Festival Founder Serves As Inspiration To Local Black Community
For The Record
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AACHM Oral History: Johnnie Rush
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Johnnie Rush was born in 1931 and was the only black person in his class at Ann Arbor High School. He recalls many fond memories of activities with the Second Baptist Church and his family, and he talks about the many challenges for African American businesses as Ann Arbor changed over the years. Mr. Rush is a licensed barber and has run his own barbershop for 55 years.
Blacks Feel Wounded By Suspicion
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Cutting Remarks
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