Home - Sweet - Home
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Peering out the same window where Mr. Sweet said: “I saw the mob and realized I was facing the same mob that had hounded my people throughout our entire history. I was filled with a fear that only one could experience who knows the history and strivings of my race.” Photography by Calvin McDaniel.
History has a way of repeating itself. Its parallelism is frightening. It shows up blatantly or it sneaks in. Either way, it always repeats itself.
Today we’re experiencing several pandemics simultaneously. WE ARE FOREVER CHANGED.
There is a shift. Our thinking is different. We are managing. We will be okay.
Still, issues loom that may never resolve:
Racial Inequality
Police Brutality
(Mental) Health Crisis
Redlining
Greed
BEING BLACK
Just to name a few…
Interestingly enough, the 1920’s were no different. Neither were the 30’s , 40’s, 50’s. You get my point.
Detroit in the 1920’s was all about the growth of the automobile industry. An abundance of manufacturing and labor jobs in the North resulted in Blacks coming to Detroit in droves in the Great Migration. More than likely if you were a Black man from the South moving to Detroit, you were coming for a job - a job at one of the Motor City’s companies like Ford or General Motors.
Although, not every Black man wanted that. Some explored other careers or trades.
Doctor Ossian Sweet. Photo from Wikipedia.
Ossian Sweet was one of those men. A grandson of a former slave, Sweet worked his way through school and college and later medical school at Howard University. It was in Washington, while living just blocks from the race riots, he witnessed black men being beat and killed.
After receiving his medical degree, Mr. Sweet moved to Detroit and in 1922 he met Gladys Mitchell and they married in 1923. After marrying, the Sweets relocated Paris so that Ossian could obtain additional medical training. The Sweets became pregnant shortly thereafter, but the hospital refused their request for a space. Their reason: White Americans would hate to “mix” with Black patients.
Back to Detroit.
This time, they pursued home ownership.
In the sitting room. Mrs. Gladys Sweet pictured (upper right). Interior and sofa design by Lisa Milton of Redesign and Restoration. Photograph by Calvin McDaniel.
Smell trouble?
The Klu Klux Klan was a force in Detroit at this time, but they weren’t an immediate worry for the Sweets. The Waterworks Improvement Association, which was an organization formed by whites who disapproved of Blacks moving into their neighborhoods, would be their worries. The association feared that Blacks moving in would bring their property values down.
The house was designated as a Michigan State Historic Site in 1975 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. 2905 Garland, Detroit’s east side. Photograph by Calvin McDaniel.
In 1925, the Sweets purchased a home on Detroit’s east side for $18,500. The home, located at 2905 Garland Street, was in an all-white neighborhood. On their first night, White crowds gathered around the house. By the second night, they knew they were in trouble. They decided to protect themselves with guns. White people threw rocks in their new home.
Police did nothing.
Fear overtook the Sweets.
A shot was fired.
A White man is dead.
Of course the Sweets were arrested because a White man is dead. Never mind the fact that they feared for their lives as the White crowd grew more violent and aggressive outside of their home.
Jail.
Trials.
Mistrial.
Charges Dismissed.
Pandemic: Tuberculosis.
Gladys Sweet contracted Tuberculosis while in jail. Their daughter Iva also contracted it, most likely from Gladys. Iva died just months after turning 2. Gladys also passed three years later. After Gladys’ death, Doctor Sweet began to run a hospital right in the thick of a Black community and also purchased the Garafalo's Drugstore. Additionally, he dabbled in real estate, but after his brother also died from Tuberculosis his finances failed. Mr. Sweet experienced too much debt and was forced to sell his home in 1958. Sweet turned the office space inside of Garafalo's Drugstore into an apartment. Sweet's physical and mental health began to decline. I’m sure he dealt with heartbreak, disappointment and the stress of it all. On March 20, 1960, he took his own life.
The Baxters (picture above headboard) were the last to sleep in this bedroom. This is the same space where the Sweet’s slept and also one of the windows where shots were fired. Photography by Calvin McDaniel.
The family who purchased the home from Doctor Sweet was the Baxter Family. William and Ruby Baxter (and their 3 children). “The Sweet House” has remained in the Baxter family since. Currently, owned by Daniel Baxter, one of two sons of William and Ruby, the Ossain Sweet House is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
Mr. Baxter who is the CEO and Founder of the Dr. Ossian Sweet Foundation on Urban Diversity graciously hosted a private tour for myself and my photographer. An excellent storyteller, Baxter led our travel through time.
I felt it all as I tried to imagine being there. I felt proud. I felt angry. I felt powerful. I felt vulnerable. I felt royal. I felt fear. I felt disappointment. I felt distinguished. I felt beautiful. I felt hopeless. I felt defeated. I felt like I was at home…
Pictured with Daniel Baxter, owner of Ossian Sweet House, CEO and Founder of the Dr. Ossain Sweet Foundation. Photograph by Calvin McDaniel.
The house is rich in history, but it’s also rich in redemption.
My desire to tell Black stories through style, beauty, art, photography, and other expressions was reignited through this experience. So much so, it has taken almost two months to summarize. Oh trust me, this recap doesn’t tip the iceberg. I implore you to dig deeper in research about this story. I promise you’ll find yourself. I promise you’ll find your family. I promise you’ll find pieces of you, of your heritage that you didn’t know needed to be found.
The Ossian House is indeed Sweet. Even after all the bad.
*Through grants and generous donations from the community, The Ossain Sweet House is being further perserved and will open for public tours soon. The Foundation and the City of Detroit are also working to develop the Ossian Sweet Historical Park, using land on Garland Street.
*References cited: Primarily Daniel Baxter. Other references include JSTOR Digital Library and Wikipedia.