Reviving Idlewild: Rebuilding The Historically Black Town

Two former residents of Idlewild, Michigan—a historically Black community—are teaming up to revitalize the precious neighborhood, which once thrived with Black-owned businesses, schools, and cultural vibrancy. To achieve their goal, they’re focused on mentoring the next generation to continue the legacy and shape the future of the historic area. 

Founded by Kyle and Carmen Grier, the TEEM Center opened its doors in May 2024, according to Pioneer. TEEM stands for Train, Educate, Equip, and Mentor, reflecting the center’s mission to empower Idlewild’s youth to build a bigger and brighter future for not only themselves but their community. 

Kyle shared that the center’s goal is to help local young people establish roots in the quaint town, ensuring a stronger, more prosperous Idlewild for generations to come.

“Our mission is to train, educate, equip, and mentor individuals through learning resources and coaching systems that would help them govern their lives so that they have the tools they need to thrive in the community,” Kyle told Pioneer on Sunday. 

Kyle and Carmen have poured every available resource into the TEEM Center, even dipping into their 401(k)s to make the space a reality. In 2024, Carmen took the next step by meeting with students from Baldwin Community Schools to learn what they needed from the curriculum to align with the center’s mission and better support the community.

“This is our home. We love these people and we know what they need,” the community leader told 9 and 10 News at the time. “When you grow up here, you know what’s not here, and you leave, and you see what opportunities and advantages other people have. And we’re going to bring it back here because they deserve to have that too. So it’s our love for them and their love for us that’s going to build this thing into something powerful.”

Since the center’s inception, the duo has taken frequent trips from their Illinois home to Michigan to fulfill their mission of revitalizing Idlewild. The pair, along with their dedicated team, organize a wide range of events, from community poetry nights, mental health awareness programs, and senior dances, to trade workshops for students. To maximize accessibility, most of the events are completely free, ensuring that everyone in the community can take part. 

“We get lots of positive feedback that they are glad we’re here,” Carmen told Pioneer earlier this week. “It took them a little while to realize that we were serious. You know, a lot of people come and go because it’s a seasonal community. But there are permanent residents here.”

The history of Idlewild.

According to Today, in 1912, prominent figures from the Black community began flocking to Idlewild, a serene beach town in Northern Michigan. Influential leaders like W.E.B. Du Bois, Madam C.J. Walker, and other intellectuals found refuge in this vibrant getaway, often called “Black Eden.” It was a place where Black families could own property and enjoy freedom from the racial injustices they faced elsewhere.

During the Jim Crow era, Idlewild became a sanctuary where Black residents could experience life without fear of segregation. They could swim, ride horses, and socialize without the constraints of racism. For many, it was the first opportunity to truly feel like citizens, free to own land and enjoy life on their own terms.

However, after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the popularity of Idlewild began to decline. After integration, many people abandoned the area, believing they now had access to more opportunities elsewhere. Sadly, when Black residents left, the town slowly deteriorated. 

Marilyn Atkins, a longtime resident with familial ties to Idlewild, noted in a previous interview that integration did irreparable “damage” to the town. 

“My mother used to say that when integration came, Black people deserted Idlewild because then other places opened up and we could go anyplace,” Atkins, who still owns the Idlewild cottage that she built with her father, told NBC News in 2022, according to Today. 

Atkins fondly remembered how her mother was saddened by the exodus from Idlewild, though she never left the community herself. But she strived to keep the family’s history present. Every summer, she would return to the family vacation home for fun, rest, and leisure. Now, she has passed down that tradition to her daughter and grandson.

The Griers hope to inspire the younger generation to put down long-lasting roots in Idlewild, too, a goal that will hopefully shift the beautiful seaside destination back into the Black haven and sanctuary it once was. 

“(We want) to make it a place where people can come — especially the African American community — and find camaraderie and love and peace,” Carmen said. “You know, there’s a lot of negativity going on in the world, especially against people of color. This is a place where we used to be able to find peace and joy.”

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