First FamilieS
Early Black Midlanders between 1960-1980
As Dr. Betty Jones wrote, “Early Black Midlanders entered a White community which had little exposure to the rich heritage of Black people and their culture, and little appreciation for the values, strengths and aspirations of the African American experience in the U.S.” The first Black families arriving in the 1960s, had little practical experience to draw on as they navigated work and community life here. Partly for their own survival, they drew together to support one another and also to use the curiosity of white Midlanders as opportunities for education. They volunteered to speak to clubs and classrooms and churches to move from feeling like they were “on display” to being comfortable as part of the community.
They formed the Midland Black Coalition to organize their efforts around welcoming new families, educating the community, and advocacy for housing, employment, and consumer products. Before the work of MBC, people had to drive to Saginaw of Bay City to find personal care items, beloved food products, or even just get a haircut.
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For the most part, Midlanders were generally friendly but seemed to receive their new neighbors with awkward stares and naïve curiosity. Although many in the community expressed an eagerness to make connections, cultural differences meant that it would take time.
One story that reveals the uncertainty and underlying racism of white Midlanders happened in the summer of 1967. Across the nation there were uprisings in Black urban communities, including Detroit and Saginaw. Perhaps that is what led to fearfulness. Whatever the motivation, the ensuing story is now “infamous” among the first families, according to Betty Jones.
Jackie and George Gant hosted a birthday party for George White at their home on Grove Street. All of the Black people in Midland were invited. Rather than arrive individually, people met up at other’s homes to walk to the party together. A group met at Ed Bowman’s place in the Wilson Apartments. From there they went on to the Gant’s home. The white neighbors got excited about seeing the gathering of Black people on the street and called the police. As the merrymaking was underway, the police arrived to check on the situation. Once they confirmed that it was just a party, they left, and the party carried on undisturbed. But, as Dr. Jones said, “the incident is remembered with mirth and has become a legend in the Black community.”
Oral Histories
Linneaus Dorman / Jeannine Gant / Ron Haughton / Betty Jones / Preston Jones / Roland Wallace
Linneaus Dorman
“I always wanted to see the town grow
and be part of it.”
Linneaus Dorman became the first Black chemist hired by Dow in 1960. Not only did he and his family take on the challenge of being the first Black family most people could remember in Midland, he dedicated himself to making the community more open and accepting. That included serving on the Commission for Community Relations to help tackle issues such as fair housing, serving on the Midland Black Coalition to encourage and support Black people in the city, and advocating for more diversity among teachers in Midland Public Schools.
Jeannine Gant
“We were your everyday, all-American
kind of faMily.”
Jeannine Gant was the first Black child born in Midland (1966) to George and Ruth Gant, who were recruited by Dow. The hospital did not even have a form to properly denote her race at time of birth, so her parents had to work to change her recorded race from white to African American. Jeannine was also the first Black student to graduate from Dow High. She shares some of the incidents she experienced, like being asked by a high school teacher to speak for all Black people on the topic slavery. But what Jeannine most remembers is a wonderful childhood filled friends and family, athletics and activities, Friday night football games and parties.
Ron Haughton
“We all lived in different neighborhoods, so that – we didn’t want to make a ghetto out of any church… so we spread out to churches and neighborhoods.”
Ron Haughton’s family was the second Black family to move to Midland in the 1960s. By the time he arrived, he had grown used to being the only Black person in the room since he was educated in predominantly white schools in Iowa. Ron shares about his childhood, the importance of education, and his impressions of Midland and Dow. Although there were many things he loved about Midland, he remains frustrated that his wife Sandy could never find employment in the city. He reflects on how the culture in Dow and in Midland do not always mirror one another.
Betty Jones
“African Americans have made tremendous contributions to
this community.”
Betty Jones shared her successes and difficulties with the Midland community over the years. Having grown up in the South, she touches on life in segregated communities, and she also reflects on the Midland “bubble.” An activist and a doer, Betty provides great insight into the activities and work of the early Black community, and the legacy of those efforts. She connects the past to the present with the ongoing work of ARM, which she describes as a needed rebooting.
Preston Jones
“One of the things was trying to get people to understand that you were not that different from them.”
Preston Jones acknowledges that there were problems in Midland, but he says there are problems anywhere. He shares about the early years and having to advocate for businesses to stock certain foods, hair products, and skincare products, along with work in early awareness groups. Preston offers a wide range of experiences from working for Dow’s patent office, involvement in his kids’ schools, and teaching photography at the Midland Center for the Arts and for traveling school program Art in Action.
Roland Wallace
“I’ve always felt there were ways … to move [the issue of difference] to the point where the difference becomes an opportunity…”
Roland Wallace offers a wealth of memories about the early years building support for the Black community through the Midland Black Coalition, his fulfillment in work as a Dow chemist and later working in recruitment, and also challenges for his child in Midland Public Schools. Roland was an active community member. He shared his musical talents with the Midland Symphony, and he joined them to play at the Kennedy Center. Roland shares the humorous story of how he joined the symphony but missed a trip to Europe.