Neighborhood Historical Legacy
The Freedom Dreams neighborhood is situated between two historically significant areas in Detroit: Poletown and Black Bottom (now McDougall-Hunt and Poletown East). Once a thriving community, this area was densely populated with homes, schools, businesses, parks, public pools, and restaurants. However, like many neighborhoods in Detroit and across the country, it fell victim to systemic racism and classism. These forces, reinforced by federal Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) redlining maps, set the stage for mass demolition and erasure under the Urban Renewal Acts.
For our community, this manifested through the expansion of highways like I-75, I-375, and I-94, which carved through and divided our neighborhood. The impact was devastating: 80% of the housing stock was destroyed, 75% of schools disappeared, and grocery stores were wiped out entirely.
Northeastern High School was one of the largest schools in Detroit. Many students who lived in the Chene street area and all around Detroit attended this high school, it was located on Grandy St. and E Warren Ave. Northeastern was best known for its music and sports programs—NBA player Charles edge started his basketball career at Northeastern and Berry Gordy, founder of MoTown Records, attended the school. The Supremes famously began singing together under the shade of the trees next to the school, and Freedom Dreams own Kevin Jones attended Northeastern before it was demolished.
“Northeastern High School was a local public school in our district. N.E. gave many students hope for a brighter future. College prep was one of the primary studies. Northeastern had a strong musical program in which several celebrities attended such as motown creator Berry Gordy, some of the Supremes, and others. Northeastern was also very competitive when it came to sports both male and female.”
- Kevin “Coach Kellogg” Jones
“Our neighborhood was dense and full of families, parks and schools. One of the main reasons why Northeastern closed and the neighborhood hollowed out was because of population decline in Detroit. Many people started leaving Detroit in the 70’s because plants began to decline, and sought profit abroad then in the 80’s because drug use which caused the crime rates to go up. The 1967 rebellion was also a major reason for why the population in Detroit declined as militant force used against civilians and divided communities to fear one another.”
- Lenzia, Freedom Dreams Apprentice, Spring 2023
Over the years we have witnessd nearly 80% erasure of those homes, parks, and schools. Only a few of the longterm families still live in the neighborhood because of this.
Today, interest in our area is growing rapidly. Its with it’s proximity to Eastern Market, the Joe Louis Greenway, and sitting only one mile from downtown makes the neighborhood particularly vulnerable to gentrification. Accelerated investments are driving up property values, making it difficult for long-standing families to keep up. For those who have remained in their family homes through generations, the pressure is immense.
Before we can look forward to the future of our neighborhood, we must remember our past, what was once here, and how we reached our present conditions. Only with strong roots in our history, can we hope to build something that will last.
