Mel Hopkins

"Remaking Respectability - African American Women in Interwar Detroit" Featured in the book by Victoria Wolcott  now available on Kindle "Detroit Housewives Leaque"  and how they helped transform Detroit's  black politics and culture.

"Don't Buy Where You Can't Work"

The 3rd Sunday in May is a special day in Black history when we celebrate the founder of the Detroit Housewives League, Fannie Peck.  In 1930s Black women couldn’t afford to stay at home and wait for their husbands. Too many businesses would sell goods and services to Black people but wouldn’t hire them. So in 1930 Detroit women led by Fannie Peck formed a group called the “Detroit Housewives’ League.” It educated women on their buying power and encouraged them to only shop at African-American owned businesses. The group was also initiating big protests and boycotts.

In 1935 they set a huge packing warehouse on fire protesting against high prices, and later joined thousands of Chicago housewives in a march that shut down the city’s entire meat industry. 

Go toSource: BlackMattersUS