Norton MacAlister Family Blog

Class of 2021: Jordan Howard Thomas’ degree is a tribute to his grandfather 27 years in the making Thomas, a mechanical engineering student, grew up adoring Howard Belton, a retired engineer, and reflected on their bond often as he pursued his degree from VCU.      Jordan Howard Thomas, left, with his grandfather, Howard Belton. (Courtesy of Jordan Howard Thomas)   VCU NEWS Thursday, May 20, 2021   In 1994, Howard Belton had just retired as an engineer at Chrysler in Michigan when his grandson, Jordan Howard Thomas, was born. The two became inseparable.  “I was his right hand,” Thomas said. “When I got to a certain age, he would take me with him. He owned an alarm company. So, he would install alarm systems at people's houses. I would go with him and hand him wires. And I had no idea what [I was doing], you know, I was just there, literally following in his footsteps.” University Public Affairs (804) 828-2725 lugincius@vcu.edu  By Lei...

https://youtu.be/qMxktpmpaCI     You Tube link or  click below    VIDEO    Aunt Dorothy  who is Flossie  Norton's Daughter is 100 years old !!   click below  (6 minutes total

  Jordan's Graduation live stream May 16th 2021 at 10:00 am https://www.kaltura.com/index. php/extwidget/preview/partner_ id/1888231/uiconf_id/28802051/ entry_id/1_n2noav3p/embed/ dynamic ?

 https://detroithistorypodcast.com/podcast/john-lee-hooker-and-the-blues-on-hastings-street/ Bluesman John Lee Hooker’s recording career spanned more than 40 years — from his hit record,  Boogie Chillen’, which was recorded in Detroit in 1948, to his Grammy Award-winning ways : Best Traditional Blues Recording , 1990, for  I'm in the Mood , with  Bonnie Raitt Best Traditional Blues Album , 1995, for  Chill Out Best Traditional Blues Recording , 1998, for  Don't Look Back Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals , 1998, " Don't Look Back ", with  Van Morrison Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award , 2000 https://detroithistorypodcast.com/podcast/birth-growth-detroit-techno/ If Detroit was a sound, what would that sound be? Although some would say Motown, others say that sound would be Techno music. In this episode of The Detroit History Podcast we explain the birth of Techno in the 1980s, why its popular around the world — particularly Berlin… and why it’s as rel...

The story : Its BACK!  Detroit Paradise Valley /  Harmonie Park  hopes to be a scene that started up again in the 1960s   Meanwhile it has gotten  completely restored down to the cobblestone in 2019 after being destroyed by the blight busting urban renewal movement of the 1960s  The 5 minute podcast is here :  https://wdet.org/posts/2015/10/19/81771-curiosid-how-a-1900s-black-detroit-community-was-razed-for-a-freeway/       You need to see the EARLY Black & White Photos here   https://www.blackbottomstreetview.com/ PHOTOCREDIT  J C  Amazing Photo of  January 2021 snowstorm in Detroit of  THE BELT   The BELT is an art alley steps away from  old black area of  Harmonie Park - a musical street mainly Randolph and a theatre street (mainly Broadway)  Imagine black people taking a break between sets on Randolph . There was a thriving musical scene here from the 1870s to the 1970s...

 

5 minute Read Detroit Free Press  <  open to read  You can skate to Gospel  or show off to  hip hop like Bow Wow in the movie Roll Bounce .  Click on the link ABOVE for the full story on a black tradition in Detroit  Yes Bow Wow has skated in the D even though the movie was based in LA   here is a clip   https://youtu.be/GB_lCL05KnI