Self Guided

The journey, in full

This brick-lined street is known as Parker's Alley and it is named after Thomas Parker, a free black man who was one of the city's first black landowners in Detroit. The Belt is named after the alleyway's location in the former garment district which was shaped like a belt. It is part of a larger project by the Library Street Collective to reimagine underutilized spaces throughout the city. This park was created in 2004 and is a main hangout in Detroit. It was even named a “Top 10 Public Square” in the USA by USA Today. Not bad for an area that few people felt safe enough walking into 20 years ago. When it was built in 1928, it was the 4th highest building in the United States and 8th highest in the world. It soars above you like the edge of a cliff with a series of setbacks at the top. The Guardian building is one of the finest Art Deco skyscrapers in the United States. It was completed in 1929 and was originally called the Union Trust Building. It also had the rather cute nickname of the Cathedral of Finance. The sun-like thing on the right is meant to symbolize the rays emanating from God, and the people on the other hand are supposed to represent all human relationships. The Spirit is widely recognized and well-loved and you can find the image all over the city. Louis didn’t just throw his weight around in the boxing ring. He fought against segregation and Jim Crow laws and encouraged young African American men to join the US Army during World War II even though it was still racially segregated. When he was asked why he did it, he famously replied "Lots of things wrong with America, but Hitler ain't going to fix them."