Real Times Media’s Adell Henderson caught up with Chicago-based lobbyist and community activist Ashley M. Munson to discuss the current state of politics. The two jumped on camera to have a video conversation following up on some of the key talking points Munson shared with Chicago Defender contributing writer Arika Linton in a post midterm election wrap up article.

The conversation includes:

• Where are we now after the midterm elections
• Concerns with Georgia’s runoff election between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and GOP challenger Herschel Walker
• Where is Vice-President Kamala Harris?
• Why Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is such a threat to Donald Trump and the Democrats

Real Times Media was established in 2006, but the legacy stretches back over 100 years. They are preservers and purveyors of culture, both past and present. As the parent company to five of the country’s most respected African American-owned news organizations, the Atlanta Daily World, Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine, the Chicago Defender, the Michigan Chronicle, and the New Pittsburgh Courier, it is their job to maintain the heartbeat of the African American voice.

The post Warnock vs Walker, Trump vs DeSantis & What’s at Risk Moving Forward appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

By Sherri Kolade | Michigan Chronicle

After just over a year of leading the United Autoworkers Union (UAW), Ray Curry, a North Carolina native and president of the UAW (since June 28, 2021) is seeking re-election.

Since taking the helm from then-UAW President Rory L. Gamble last year after his retirement, Curry told the Michigan Chronicle that his tenure has been marked by great transformation and, simultaneously, much-needed continuity.

“It’s been an exciting time and a challenging time. I was previously elected in 2018 as the secretary, treasurer, or chief financial officer, and responsible for the reforms,” Curry said adding that under his helm, he’s continuing the work of transparency that was started during Gamble’s time as president, which he prioritizes, too, after scandals rocked the UAW previously with better checks and balances in place. “We’ve opened up a compliance department that’s soon to be filled. We’ve got a new training mechanism inside the organization. We’re now we’re not just training staff, we’re training staff and all clerical with having human resources and organizational development department. So, we’re excited about being able to keep a cutting edge of institutional knowledge that’s out there alone with new marketplace knowledge … that will be beneficial as we continue to grow.”

As UAW president, Curry continues his commitment to transparency and reform within the UAW. “Restoring member confidence in our union is a high priority. We will continue to work with the monitor to develop and implement more checks and balances for our union.”

Gamble told the Michigan Chronicle that he is endorsing Curry because of his experience.

“He cares about the organization and I have complete faith in his responsibilities and he will complete the job of reconstruction at the UAW to bring the union back to the … prominence it deserves,” Gamble said. “Ray believes that working families in this country deserve to have a strong voice in the workplace. … I believe he will do everything in his power to make sure that happens.”

The UAW’s 38th Constitutional Convention will take place in Detroit from July 25-28. The Convention starts the election nomination process and in the coming months, UAW members will vote on their next president via mail.

Curry became a UAW member in July 1992, when he was hired as a truck assembler at Freightliner Trucks in Mount Holly, North Carolina, (now Daimler Trucks, NA) after serving in the U.S. Army for three years on active duty and five years in the US Army Reserve. Shortly after joining UAW Local 5285, he became active in the local’s civil rights standing committee. “I have always believed that it is a duty to make change happen.

“My years on that standing committee gave me both a deep understanding of our great union as well as the awareness of what can happen when we work together,” according to his biography.

He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a B.S. in Business Administration / Finance. He holds an MBA degree from the University of Alabama.

Curry told the Michigan Chronicle that he sought to be engaged in community efforts in all of the leadership positions he has held, which helped him to “rise through the ranks” to where he is today.

“Whether in my home state of North Carolina or (when I) transferred to different roles and ultimately in Michigan I … understand the sacrifices of membership,” he said adding that he believes in the people he leads.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) president and CEO told the Michigan Chronicle that he supports Curry who he’s known for several decades. The NNPA is the national trade association that represents African American newspapers and media companies.

“Ray Curry’s leadership at the United Auto Workers has been transformational and very uplifting for the cause of labor rights and civil rights,” the lifetime NAACP member said, adding that there is a strong tie between the NAACP and the labor union. “Historically, the UAW was one of the leading forces in labor that supported the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement.”

Chavis worked for Dr. King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) — a major player in the civil rights march on Washington – while also working for the Black press. He said that the UAW has been a firm proponent of the Black press, too, which continues today.

“During President Ray Curry’s tenure as president at the UAW he was a strong advocate and supporter of the Black Press of America, and on behalf of the NNPA that represents African American newspapers and media companies I just want to say categorically that Ray Curry (in our view) has been the best president in UAW history as he continues to create more and more opportunities for a diverse and inclusive workforce in the automotive industry.”

Hiram Jackson, Michigan Chronicle publisher and Real Times Media CEO, said that Curry (a 2022 Michigan Chronicle Man of the Year Award winner) is a tireless supporter of civil and human rights, and the military veteran is known for his servant leadership skills and for being instrumental in implementing broad financial ethics reforms.

“Curry’s dynamic work and talents in his position at the UAW never fail to inspire others to be tenacious in their journey. His passion and experience are why I also back him as being re-elected as president,” Jackson said. “He will continue to go above and beyond to get the job done.”

Curry said that from dealing with the auto crisis and recession to the evolving marketplace now – the UAW has stood firm in the face of calamity with a steadfast promise of helping their valued members and community.

“We’ve dealt with the food, fuel crisis of the ‘70s … and an evolution of vehicles change in our industry with regard to electric vehicles, transitioning from industrial, internal combustible engine vehicles, and the supplier and component parts that are tied to that,” he said adding that the biggest part of the growth opportunity under his leadership includes three Ps. “Protecting things for our past retirees, keeping the promise to our present members … and also the prospect of future members in growing every single location that we have across the country with another generation of auto workers. That piece is important.”

Curry said that those commitments complement his re-election platform, which is, “Building Our Tomorrow Today,” through prospective partners, organizations, or elected officials across the nation.

“We are also making sure that the right legislation, making sure that the right collective bargaining agreements and others are in place for our tomorrow, but we are building our tomorrow, in actual real-time today,” he said adding that his platform coincides with the UAW’s organizational values. “The whole goal is to build a new opportunity for another generation of auto workers. … It’s important for me that we continue to build and do the work that’s necessary. “

For more information visit uaw.org/uaw-constitutional-convention-2022-update/.

By Whitney Gresham and Trevor W. Coleman II at The Michigan Chronicle

For more than 50 years, the McDonald’s Corporation took pride in branding itself as a socially conscious corporation particularly interested in doing business in abandoned and long-ignored Black communities while embracing racial diversity as a critical component of its corporate ethos.

It is a philosophy that helped create a popular narrative and also focus on story that the Chicago-based company was a progressive business and a place where African Americans could grow, find mentors, promotions and economic opportunity.

However, that image was shattered this year in an explosive lawsuit brought by two African American female executives who claim that under new leadership the company not only deliberately divested from the Black community and businesses, but hurled racist, sexist insults at them including referring to the employees as “niggers” and “angry Black women.”

Adding further injury to the grotesque insults, the women also claimed when they spoke up about such treatment they were demoted, and the perpetrators were promoted.

The shocking accusations have rocked the fast food industry especially since McDonald’s has long projected itself as a leader in diversity initiatives and as an aggressive recruiter and developer of African American talent and entrepreneurs.

But Domineca Neal and Vicki Guster-Hines, former vice presidents of the fast food chain, allege the discrimination and harassment started and progressive programs came to a screeching halt following a change in corporate leadership at McDonald’s in 2015. In their suit they said the new regime engaged in systemic racist and discriminatory behavior and civil rights abuses against them and other Black executives.

Among the allegations were that one top white male executive repeatedly referred to them as “angry Black women” and another who earlier had referred to Black employees as “niggers” shockingly being promoted rather than disciplined following a complaint filed against him for such racially abusive language.

In an exclusive interview with the Michigan Chronicle, Neal, a native Detroiter, said the harassment began shortly after the new CEO, British-born Steve Easterbrook, came on board in 2015 and initiated a corporate restructuring plan that de-emphasized racial diversity and input from Black executives and franchisees. She and Guster-Hines were then demoted from vice-president to senior director positions in July 2018.

They are seeking compensation following those demotions, claiming that they occurred as a result of discrimination.

“When they assumed leadership, it became very clear that African Americans stakeholders were no longer a strategic priority and the environment became toxic,” she said. “An example would be, you know, cutting advertising spending with African American agencies that impacted, of course, African American customers and local community organizations, and it didn’t make economic sense, it didn’t make good business sense.”

McDonald’s commitment to diversity was so widely known and promoted that it was regularly named among the Fortune 500 top corporations for diversity and inclusion and other companies would benchmark against them.

That reputation, however, is now threatened by the lawsuit scheduled to be heard in the Northern District Court of Illinois next month or early August. Besides Easterbrook; who was let go last year after it was revealed he was involved in an affair with a colleague in violation of company policy, also named in the suit are the current CEO, Chris Kempczinski, and Charles Strong, the chief field officer.

At its bare essence, the women allege in the suit the world’s largest fast-food restaurant chain has “declared war against the African American community.”

She noted her observation is based on its new business plan and corporate leadership’s attitudes toward African American employees and owner-operators who had the majority of restaurants in African American consumer markets and would be impacted, more so than others. “And that action coincided with a significant reduction in the number of African American owner-operators.”

When Neal and other executives brought these concerns to the attention of leadership, they began to retaliate against them. They defunded the company’s African American Diversity Council and it subsequently became dormant. The Council provided career development and a talent pipeline for African American employees. And soon the demotions started with African Americans being targeted for elimination such as herself and Guster-Hines, leaving no African Americans at Kempczinski’s leadership table during his tenure as president of McDonald’s USA to advocate on behalf of Black employees, franchise operators, or customers. The suit claims the number of African American executives in the top ranks of McDonald’s operations fell to seven in 2019 from 42 in 2014, the year before the new regime came on board.

The suit also alleges:

• Before Easterbrook and Kempczinski’s arrival, African American consumers generated 20% of all revenue for McDonald’s US stores.
• Easterbrook and Kempczinski caused a decrease in advertising to attract African American patronage. The constant cutting in the funding of programs for building African American leadership resulted in the system-wide purchases by African Americans to decline by 6%.
• Nearly one out of three African American franchisees left the McDonald’s system since Easterbrook arrived which was disproportionate to the loss of non-African American franchisees.

But among Neal’s and Guster-Hines’ most shocking claims was the racist, sexist taunts they had to endure from the McDonald’s executives. The suit alleges that in 2005 Marty Ranft, a white vice president and general manager of the McDonald’s Ohio Region told Guster-Hines “You are a nigger like all the rest–you just believe you are better cause you are a smart one.”

She further alleges she reported Ranft to her supervisors and emphasized that she would not tolerate being called a nigger within McDonald’s or anywhere else. She said there was no response to her complaint from the corporation and Ranft was eventually promoted to Vice President of Development for the entire U.S.

The suit also alleges in 2017 Strong, who supervised Neal and Guster-Hines and at the time responsible for 50% of the U.S. business and about 14,000 restaurants, instructed Neal not to consult with or take the advice of two African American women, Bridgette Hernandez and Barbara Calloway who had been promoted over Strong’s opposition. She alleged he stated, “We don’t need any of that Black woman’s attitude. They are too angry and aggressive.”

The next year in March 2018, Strong allegedly told Guster-Hines that five African American women, Chioke Elmore, Regina Johnson, Hernandez, Calloway and Neal, were “angry Black women” that “always seemed to be mad about something.” He then allegedly asked Guster-Hines to explain the source of their anger.

The five women constituted 40% of female African American vice presidents as of March 2018. And were three out of five vice presidents reporting to Strong when he allegedly made these statements.

“So that was shocking that he was so openly discussing that with various stakeholders that we were angry Black women,” Neal said.

But what she, Guster-Hines, and others found even more jarring and demoralizing was after they shared Strong’s racist, sexist, and demeaning remarks to his superiors, he, too, was promoted and they were demoted.

“In shocking ways difficult to overstate, McDonald’s under Easterbrook and Kempczinski declared a war against the African American community,” the lawsuit alleges.

Neither the McDonald’s Corporation Media Relations Department or the lawyer representing them, Nigel F. Telman of Chicago, returned calls from the Chronicle by publication deadline.

However, in a statement to the media in January, issued at the filing of the suit, McDonald’s said it disagreed with the characterization of the company’s behavior. It said 45% of its corporate officers and all of its field vice-presidents are people of color.

“At McDonald’s, our actions are rooted in our belief that a diverse, vibrant, inclusive, and respectful company makes us stronger,” the company said. “While we disagree with characterizations in the complaint, we are currently reviewing it and will respond to the complaint accordingly.”

Carmen D. Caruso and Linda C. Chatman, the Chicago-based trial lawyers representing Neal and Guster-Hines said the behavior by McDonald’s executives constituted some of the most egregious acts of racial discrimination they have ever been confronted with in their careers.

“Under the guise of reorganizing the way they manage the franchise system, the restaurant system across the country, they basically decimated the ranks of the African American leadership and employees,” Caruso said. “That to me is one of the most glaring act of intentional discrimination that we saw in the case. And we lay those numbers out in greater detail in the complaint itself. But that was very, very, serious discrimination in employment, and it’s over and above a lot of other things that came before and other things that have come after, but that’s kind of a centerpiece of the discrimination against the executive employees, including Domineca and Vicki.”

Chatman agreed and said that they are also arguing that McDonald’s will try to argue that their promotion and demotion policies are neutral because they are based on data, not race. The racially hostile work environment had a particularly destructive impact upon Black employees, including Domineca and Vicki.

“The crux of it is that, under Easterbrook and now Kempczinski, McDonald’s is not interested in, or focused upon, Black customers, Black franchisees or Black executives, as evidenced by how they decimated their ranks at the corporate level,” she said.

“Domineca and Vicki were forced to witness McDonald’s blatantly deemphasize Black people and the effect upon them was terrible,” Chatman said. “I mean, how are they supposed to work in an environment that is openly hostile to people who look like them.”

Neal said when Kempczinski was told about concerns that there weren’t any Blacks on his U.S. President executive team, he said he can the ask questions “the numbers don’t matter.”

“But, the numbers do matter,” Chatman said

Caruso said the bottom line is that they are alleging their clients were victims of intentional discrimination and it came from the very top of the McDonald’s organization in the person of Steve Easterbrook and Christopher Kempczinski.

“It was not an accident that all this happened to Domineca and Vicki, and other African Americans in the company,” he said.

Neal, reflecting on her time at McDonald’s recalled how happy she was to join the organization in 2011 precisely because of its reputation for embracing the African American community.

“And we embraced them, and that was shown through the loyalty to the brand, the representation of African American talent at all levels throughout the organization and the opportunities to create wealth for the African American owner-operators which was also very inspiring and a representation of their diversity and inclusion values,” she said.

Now, after leaving the corporation in March, Neal still finds the swift turnabout in the company’s attitude and values – after nearly 50 years of progress – disconcerting. She said the whole “angry Black woman” incident felt as if she was living in an episode of Mad Men.

She is left to wonder how sincere the corporation was about diversity and inclusion in the first place. She noted things would never have had gotten out of hand as it did if the Board of Directors had come down on the executives. But they didn’t.

“It was very disheartening, heartbreaking, and shocking because I think that we’re at a stage in society, where we know that’s language that is racial in nature and stereotypical and used in a manner to quiet African American women from being able to comfortably bring their authentic selves to the workplace,” Neal said.

(Part 2 of Big Mac Attack on Blacks: Black McDonald’s Owner-Operators Caught between a Rock and Hard Place as Black Executives Fight for Fairness and Corporation Demands Loyalty)   

By Braden Hunter

When is the last time a festival within Detroit city limits occurred outside of downtown and midtown?

The Quicken Loans Community Fund, the philanthropic arm of Quicken Loans, is bringing its ‘Detroit Out Loud’ free one-day festival to Rouge Park on the city’s west side July 20. The inaugural festival will celebrate Detroit, its neighborhoods, and its communities, in an environment that is family-friendly.

“We really wanted to do something that showed our love for Detroit, its neighborhoods, and its residents,” said Jasmin DeForrest, Director of Community Sponsorships for the Quicken Loans Community Fund. “We have been working on this for a year and we wanted to do something in the neighborhood that honors Detroit, its energy, and the sense of pride it has.”

“We did an extensive search, looking at parks on the east and west side, and Rouge Park seemed to have the best footprint for us. There are so many great areas that can be activated there and the City of Detroit and the communities surrounding Rouge Park made it a win-win situation for us.”

Detroit Out Loud will have activities for all ages, including pony rides from Buffalo Soldiers Detroit, archery by Elite Archery Academy, and camping at the Sierra Club’s Detroit Outdoors at Rouge Park – the city’s largest park and its only active campground. Food trucks will also be available with Detroit-centric cuisine and additional food and drink options will be available for purchase throughout the site, including the Lobster Food Truck, Jackson’s Five Star Motown Bistro, Good Cakes and Bakes, Lush Yummies Pie Company, and Milk and Froth.

Other activities and activations include a 90’s airbrush photo station, arts and crafts, hula hoops, giant games, StockX sneaker origami station, and a free yoga class led by Citizen Yoga.

KC and DJ Dinero of 105.1 The Bounce will perform at the festival, as well as numerous other local and nationally-acclaimed performers, including SWV, Flint Eastwood, and Larry Lee and the Back in the Day Band.

For those that like to dance, a number of Detroit dance styles will be showcased, including traditional dances in Mexican culture with Ballet Folklorico De Detroit, Hustle lessons with Reveal Detroit, and the city’s signature dance, JIT, with Nick Speed and Hardcore Detroit. There will also be an African Dance and Drum Performance by P.A.T.H African Drum and Dance Collective.

“JIT is our dance, that’s what we do, and we put that on the map,” said DeForrest, who is from Detroit’s west side. “I’m really excited about that portion of the festival and I think Detroiters will be as well.”

Detroit Out Loud will also be the site of the sixth and final mural in the Quicken Loans Community Fund’s third annual Small Business Murals Project. This partnership with 1xRun connects local artists and small business owners who collaborate to create six murals annually throughout Detroit. More than just paintings, the murals created through the Small Business Murals Project both beautify the city and attract attention for the city’s small business community. Internationally renowned artist and Detroit native Sheefy McFly was commissioned to paint the final mural.

“It’s a dope event and I like the curators,” said Sheefy McFly, who has painted murals all over the City of Detroit. “I’m planning on doing a Detroit-themed mural similar to my “Detroit Never Left” mural, highlighting the things that we love in Detroit.”

Neighbor to Neighbor is a program organized by Quicken Loans to fight tax foreclosure through the city, and educates local homeowners in danger of losing their home to tax foreclosure by providing resources, knowledge, and workshops about property tax exemptions. A booth will be on-site to educate Detroit residents about the program.

Rouge Park is Detroit’s largest maintained green space at 1,181 acres and is larger than Belle Isle, Hart Plaza, Campus Martius, Grand Circus and Capitol Park combined. In the 1920s, the City of Detroit paid $1.3 million to purchase land from six farmers at the western edge of the city. Rouge Park now has more than a dozen amenities that are completely unique to Detroit, yet many of the facilities in Rouge Park are underutilized and are in need of funding. At the end of Detroit Out Loud, the Quicken Loans Community Fund will make an investment to Rouge Park to assist in making it enjoyable for the community in serves.

“We are grateful to the Quicken Loans Community Fund for bringing this celebration of Detroit to Rouge Park,” said Sally Petrella, President of Friends of Rouge Park, an organization of stakeholders who advocate for, and promote, programming and future development of the park. “Detroit Out Loud will showcase Rouge Park to the rest of the city, and attendees will see why Detroit’s largest park is also one of its greatest and most historic.”

This article originally appeared in the Michigan Chronicle.

The Palace of Auburn Hills opened in 1988. This fall, it is scheduled for demolishment.

Detroit Pistons Owner Tom Gores and Livonia-based Schostak Brothers & Company announced the formation of a joint venture to redevelop the Palace of Auburn Hills and its surrounding land. Schostak Brothers will serve as the lead partner and manage the future mixed-use development, which is expected to include corporate office, research & development and technology companies.

In 2016, when Gores announced the Pistons’ return to the City of Detroit, he emphasized the importance of transitioning The Palace in a way that would benefit the region long term.

“We promised the people of Auburn Hills and Oakland County that we would find a solution that would be good for the community and make a positive economic impact,” said Gores. “Partnering with a proven, well-respected developer like Schostak Brothers is an important step in delivering on that promise.”

Gores said he retained a vested interest in the project because he believes strongly in the potential of the site and the future of the region.

“Auburn Hills has been a great home to our franchise for a long time,” he added. “This investment will allow us to stay connected in a way that will create new opportunities for people who live and work in the area.”

Schostak Development President Jeffrey Schostak said he views The Palace property as one of the premier parcels of real estate in me

Detroit based on its location in a growing area of northern Oakland County and its excellent accessibility on and off I-75.

“Schostak Brothers is ready to take the lead and use our expertise in complex redevelopments to create a new and exciting next chapter for The Palace and its surrounding property,” said Schostak. “We are looking forward to working with Tom Gores’ organization and our partners at the City of Auburn Hills, Oakland County and the State of Michigan on this project, and we’re excited about the prospects for this site.”

Schostak Brothers & Company, a fourth-generation family business, has held a development footprint in Michigan for nearly 100 years.  Since 1920 and throughout the company’s long history, the firm has executed development, acquisitions and leasing of retail, office, industrial, residential and mixed-use projects in both urban and suburban settings.  The company’s current activities include joint ventures, build-to-suit projects, mixed-use developments and necessity-based retail in 30 states.

Detroit Pistons Vice Chairman Arn Tellem said finding a partner with strong local community presence was a priority.

“We want to work with people who are truly invested in the community and are committed to maximizing the potential of the site,” said Tellem. “Schostak Brothers is a strong, recognized name in the local real estate landscape. They also have national reach and a strong track record of delivering results, which makes them the ideal partner.”

A specific timeline for the development has not been announced. The Pistons organization is preparing to move its remaining team and business operations from The Palace to the new Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center in Detroit, which is on schedule to be completed this fall.

Auburn Hills Mayor Kevin McDaniel lauded the sale and subsequent partnership between Schostak Brothers & Company and PS&E as a ‘win-win-win’ for the City of Auburn Hills, its business community, and its residents.

“There has been great cooperation and collaboration with the Pistons organization since the team announced it was moving to Detroit,” said Mayor McDaniel. “Recognizing the probability that the property would not continue as an arena, an internal planning activity took place within the City to establish the highest and best use for the land.  News of this joint venture with Schostak Brothers aligns with a future for the property that is beneficial to the city while fostering innovation and job creation.  We are enthusiastic about the redevelopment potential and what is expected to be an outcome that provides for future expansion of the city’s corporate business community.”

The Pistons played their final game at the Palace in April 2017, before moving into Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit for the 2017-2018 season.

This article originally appeared in the Michigan Chronicle. 

By Branden Hunter
Motown Records was founded in Detroit in 1959 by Berry Gordy Jr. To commemorate its 60th year, the Motown Museum announced plans for its highly anticipated Motown 60 Weekend set for September 21-23. The three-day event is packed full of music and star power converging on Detroit in true Motown style for an incredible not-to-be-missed celebration benefiting Motown Museum.

“It’s been such an important year for us to share Motown history and celebrate this milestone in a big way,” said Motown Museum Chairwoman and CEO Robin Terry. “Our Motown 60 Weekend is the culmination of a year-long celebration all happening right here in Detroit. We’ve created three special and unique events for Motown fans. Most importantly, we will honor and celebrate Motown’s iconic visionary founder Berry Gordy in Detroit where this story was born. We invite all Motown fans to join us as we celebrate the musical and cultural impact of this incredible legacy.”

The weekend’s festivities include a “Motown Gospel Concert” Saturday, September 21 at Detroit World Outreach. The concert will feature artists performing traditional gospel music along with spiritually enhanced Motown favorites. Artists include Grammy Award-winning artist Regina Belle, Stellar Award-winning and current Motown gospel label group Tye Tribbet & G.A., Tasha Page-Lockhart, winner of the gospel singing competition Sunday Best that airs on BET, and Detroit gospel royalty Kierra “Kiki” Sheard. A 125-person choir from more than 70 local faith-based groups will perform. With a capacity of 3,000 people, this is an open-to-the public, free community concert. Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis beginning August 28. For more information, please visit motownmuseum.org.

During “Hitsville Honors: Celebrating Berry Gordy & 60 Years of Motown” Sunday, September 22 at Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Marjorie J. Fisher Music Center, the city that started it all will soon play host to an unforgettable evening of extraordinary entertainment. Hitsville Honors is a powerful musical tribute to Motown’s legacy and a celebration of the Motown family. Highlights will include a tribute to Motown founder Berry Gordy and a celebration of his incredible life and transformative musical and entrepreneurial vision. The evening will be a star-studded event, with planned appearances by celebrities, local dignitaries and special guests. The Temptations, Four Tops, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, and Mary Wilson will perform Motown favorites. That legendary lineup is just the beginning. Award-winning Motown artists Ne-Yo and Kem will be joined by Detroit’s own Big Sean with other artists and performances to be announced. The result is sure to be a moment unlike any other, where legendary meets contemporary, and where Motown favorites come together with some of today’s most innovative talents to showcase the generational impact and lasting legacy of Motown. Tickets range from $50-$1,000 and include various opportunities, including pre- and post-event receptions. Tickets for Hitsville Honors go on sale Thursday, Aug. 1 and can be purchased at www.motownmuseum.org.

The ”Soul In One Celebrity Golf Classic” will take place Monday, September 23 at Tam-O-Shanter Country Club in West Bloomfield Township. Guests will join Motown alumni and celebrities for an afternoon tee time and a gourmet lunch and dinner. Pricing ranges from $350 for an individual golfer with groups packages available. To register golf event and for information about sponsorship opportunities and tickets packages for all events, contact Motown Museum Director of Development and Community Activation, Paul Barker, at (313) 875-2264, Ext. 226, or email [email protected].

In addition to the Motown Museum hosted weekend of events, the Friends of Fuller Gordy Strikefest event, an L.A.-based annual affair led by his daughter Iris Gordy and granddaughter Karla Gordy Bristol, will honor Motown VP, humanitarian and pro bowler Fuller Gordy. The event will serve as a casual ‘warm up’ for Motown alumni, family, friends and fans to connect and support Motown Museum prior to the weekend’s festivities. Featuring bowling, karaoke, dinner and Motown music, Strikefest will take place on Friday, Sept. 20 at 6:30 p.m. at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park. To inquire about tickets and for more information, visit https://friendsoffuller.org.

The Motown Museum was founded in 1985 by Esther Gordy Edwards and is committed to preserving, protecting, and presenting the Motown story through authentic, inspirational and educational experiences.

Announced in late 2016, the Motown Museum expansion will grow the museum to a 50,000-square-foot world-class entertainment and education tourist destination featuring dynamic, interactive exhibits, a performance theater, recording studios, an expanded retail experience and meeting spaces designed by reknown architects and exhibit designers. When completed, the new museum campus will have a transformative impact on the surrounding Detroit neighborhoods, providing employment, sustainability and community pride by serving as an important catalyst for new investment and tourism in the historic area.

This article originally appeared in the Michigan Chronicle.