The Hustle
As of the 2012 census, there were more than 60,000 small businesses in Detroit and nearly 49,000 of them were Black-owned. These businesses and the people who run them are often anchors in their communities: providing neighbors with opportunities for employment, recreation, support and socializing; as well as access to quality goods and services and skilled care. Yet these cornerstones of Detroit’s community had never been highlighted in our museums.
The Detroit Historical Society launched The Hustle in 2022 to celebrate Detroit’s unsung entrepreneurs. With its first round successfully concluded in 2024 and a second round set to launch in 2025, this multi-faceted project includes a series of quarterly exhibitions at the Detroit Historical Museum that are complemented by public events and education programs, celebrations, a day-long resource summit, and a festive black-tie gala.
The next round of exhibitions will open at the Detroit Historical Museum in October 2025.
In the meantime, here are some more ways to engage in The Hustle:
• Untold Detroit: The Hustle podcast - listen now, or find it wherever you get your podcasts!
• The Hustle book, a 100-page commemorative exhibition catalog and review of the first round of the program - order it here!
• The Hustle virtual exhibit, watch below or on YouTube
The first round of The Hustle exceeded expectations:
• Nearly 800 crowd-sourced nominations submitted
• 34 entrepreneurs were featured in exhibits at the Detroit Historical Museum
• More than 73,000 people have seen the exhibits
• The project has garnered over 357,000 media impressions
• 2,468 people tuned in to 5 virtual programs
• 120 students participated in 4 educational sessions
• 925 entrepreneurs registered for the Hustle Resource Summit in November 2023
The following entrepreneurs were nominated by their communities and selected by a Community Advisory Committee who worked from an established rubric to choose honorees who truly represented Detroit Hustle. They were featured in exhibitions at the Detroit Historical Museum in 2022-2024.
Hustle Honorees:
- Djenaba Ali - Black Bottom Garden Center
- Akil Alvin - Digital Detroit Media (DDM)
- Algernon Bartell - Times Square Clothing
- Adrienne Bennett - Benkari LLC
- Richard Blanding - Scrap Soils
- Danyell Bragg - Hair By Danni Bee
- Luci Butts - Chilled Peels Lemonade
- Cathryn Coleman - Bouncing Around the Motor City
- Kelli Cooke and Jordyn Watson - Detroit Selfie Museum
- Marc D'Andre - 7Mile Radio
- Arthur C. Davis - “A Work of Art” Executive Protection
- Bert Dearing - Bert's Marketplace and Jazz Restaurant
- Ali Evans - GODNII
- Patrick Hines - Functional Fluidics
- Carl W. Hollier - “DJ Invisible” & Invisible Entertainment
- Emmalene Hunter - The Fashion Place
- Jarrell Lowman - Handy Relocations
- Nya Marshall - IVY Kitchen + Cocktails
- Frederick Paul II - Fahrenheit 313
- Lorenzo Pearson - Untouchable Empire Unisex Salon
- Orson Porter - Orson's Collision & Auto Repair
- Mykolas Rambus - Hush
- Sherrie Savage - Naturally ILLustrated, LLC
- Tyrell Slappey, Terrance Crowell, and Markita Richardson - Round 1 Gaming Lab
- Emmanuel Smith - “Mr E in the D”
- Seajoseffer ("Joe") Spencer - Louisiana Creole Gumbo Restaurant and Food Trucks
- Khali Sweeney - Downtown Boxing Gym
- Khyiana Tate – Signing with Khy
- The Thomas Family - Sweet Potato Sensations Bakery
- Alison Vaughn - Jackets for Jobs
- Latricia Wilder - Vibe Ride Detroit
- Candace Williams - Barks Fifth Avenue
- M. Kay Willingham - Art in Motion
- Raphael Wright - Neighborhood Grocery
Thank you to our sponsors! The Hustle was made possible by the Gilbert Family Foundation, Toyota Motor North America, AAA-The Auto Club Group, Bank of America, PNC Bank, JPMorgan Chase, and Dykema.
Media sponsors: Michigan Chronicle and The LEE Group.
Photo by Monica Morgan
