Date of Defense

9-4-2025

Date of Graduation

5-2026

Department

Theatre

First Advisor

Luchara Wallace

Second Advisor

Shimonta Dickerson

Abstract

This honors thesis and documentary, “I Can Breathe, the story of how Idlewild changed my life,” explores my personal journey to Idlewild with the Lee Honors College Study in the States Program. Over the past three years, I have attended every trip to Idlewild, and captured footage showcasing the enduring legacy and spirit of Idlewild, Michigan. This place was a once-thriving African American resort community during the Jim Crow era, and now is home to year-round locals who seek hope and restoration for the community. Through a deeply personal lens, this project seeks to honor Idlewild’s past and also envision its future. The documentary includes several in-depth interviews with lifelong and part-time residents, community events and projects we developed during our time there, and my personal reflections on the spiritual energy and connection to the place and people there. This time in Idlewild was also interwoven with visits to sites such as the Jim Crow Museum, where artifacts of racial oppression are on display for you to confront. I also wanted the documentary to juxtapose the past with the present. There are moments exploring the history of how Idlewild came to be, and its golden entertainment era, and then moments that show the deteriorating and crumbling architecture there today. I included these multiple perspectives in hopes the viewer could begin to ask critical questions about gentrification, cultural erasure, and how to make revitalization possible without destroying history. At its core, I believe this project is focused on art and activism. I want the viewer to feel a sense of urgency, and a desire to act. Idlewild needs to be restored for the people who call it home, and still maintain its original purpose- as a space for Black self-determination and joy to thrive. By documenting the lived experiences of its people currently there, I hope to inspire the future generations to continue visiting Idlerwild, and to invest in the community there, so we can keep Idlewild’s spirit alive for years to come.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sWRWvpn5oyo

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Open Access

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