MaLinda Hall, May 18th, 2024
Title
MaLinda Hall, May 18th, 2024
Description
MaLinda Hall discusses her experiences with the 2021 flood that affected riverside neighborhoods in Detroit, as well as her time working at a nursing home during the peak of Covid-19.
In partnership with the Manistique Community Treehouse Center
In partnership with the Manistique Community Treehouse Center
Publisher
Detroit Historical Society
Rights
Detroit Historical Society
Language
en-US
Narrator/Interviewee's Name
MaLinda Hall
Brief Biography
MaLinda Hall was born in the Cadillac and Mack area in the 1970s and has lived in various Detroit neighborhoods, most recently in the Lakewood Jefferson area since 2015. She ran the Cultural Vibe radio station at Michigan State University, and currently works as a Certified Nursing Assistant.
Interviewer's Name
Doris Lanzkron-Tamarazo
Date
5/18/2024
Interview Length
17:50
Transcription
Doris Lanzkron-Tamarazo: I'm Doris Lanzkron-Tamarazo. It's May 18th, 2024 and I'm here with, please say your name.
MaLinda Hall: MaLinda. Capital M, lowercase a, capital L, lowercase i n d a. Last name Hall, h a l l.
DLT: Thank you. And do you live in the city of Detroit?
MH: Yes I do.
DLT: What neighborhood?
MH: I was born Cadillac and Mack back in the 70s. Then we moved to Mack and Chalmers from the 80s to 90s. Then I purchased a home in the Lakewood Jefferson area, 2015.
DLT: And in the years you've lived in this area, have you noticed, have you been affected by climate change at all?
MH: Absolutely. I would have never known that it was like this by the water, but it is.
DLT: Can you tell me a little bit about those effects?
MH: My basement floods a lot. I never experienced that on the other side of Jefferson or on the other side of Mack. But on this side, yeah. My basement floods. Which is, you know, interesting to say the least.
DLT: And does it flood regularly or just on specific storms?
MH: Really heavy storms. You're in a city. If we have a really, really bad storm, my basement probably will flood. I can get anywhere from a foot to about three feet of water.
DLT: And what are the effects of this?
MH: Well, the last big flood we had, I had just purchased a brand new furnace for my home. And when I say brand new, like, that January I bought the furnace, that May we had the flood. Brand new, which destroyed my brand new furnace that I could no longer replace because I had just replaced it. The long term effect that it had on me was, because I did not have a furnace in my basement, when the really, really cold winter came a couple of years ago, I had to use my fireplace, which caused a fire in my home.
DLT: And was this the 2021 flood?
MH: Yes.
DLT: Did you notice your neighbors getting affected by it as well?
MH: A lot of us were impacted by it. Some were able to get things repaired, some actually just walked away. Like, I had a couple of neighbors on my block alone that just, after that 2021 flood, just they left.
DLT: And what was the city's response to the floods from your perspective?
MH: The city did the blame game. They tried to say it was a natural disaster, but there was actually more to it than just a natural disaster. It was the city of Detroit's fault. So to try to alleviate themselves, from having to be responsible financially for it, they had FEMA come out here. FEMA did a really, really bad job in assessing the damage that was done. Which is why I couldn't replace my furnace.
DLT: And what do you feel the city should have done in that situation?
MH: The city should have replaced my furnace.
DLT: Have there been other major floods since then?
MH: Well, the curious thing is, the year I bought my house, I had been in my home for maybe two months. I had no idea that they flood down there [Laughter] and I was not at home. My twin sons were at home sleeping and his friend calls them. He says, man, run in your basement because our basement is flooding. So my son runs in the basement of our new home and it's flooding. So he's like, Ma, all of your stuff. He said all I could do was grab the fur coats. I knew not to leave the furs down there and not let them get messed up, but. So that was like my welcome to homeownership through the city of Detroit, my basement flooding about two, maybe three months into purchasing it.
So since I've owned my home, my basement has flooded a total of seven times. Three of them have been really bad, and the other four were, like, maybe a foot of water. But all of them, I honestly believe, all come from the city of Detroit. I don't really think they come from a natural disaster to that extent. It is a natural disaster as far as the rain. However, it's the way the city of Detroit handles the rainwater that causes the problem.
DLT: And have the responses changed over time since the 2021 flood, or is it still about the same?
MH: I mean, they are doing bits and pieces. But I can't say that has really changed anything. I know, like for me, myself, we just had a heavy rain and yeah, the water came up in my basement again. But this time it didn't come up bad.
DLT: And are you involved with the Treehouse Center?
MH: The who?
DLT: The Manistique Treehouse center?
MH: No.
DLT: Okay. Are there any organizations in your neighborhood that have been trying to respond to these issues?
MH: My neighborhood block association is one, as well as JEI, Jefferson East Incorporated. They both have been really trying to assist me in different ways with getting my home back in order.
DLT: And what are some of the services they're offering?
MH: Well, right now I have gotten my furnace replaced thanks to JEI, I've gotten Central Air in my home, which I did not have originally, thanks to JEI. Hopefully I will have some windows soon because, like I said, my house caught fire because I didn't have a furnace due to a flood. See how it all just ties into each other?
DLT: Absolutely.
MA: Well, the fire ended up destroying my roof. I just recently got the roof replaced on my own. So I'm just looking for whatever resources the city will offer to try to help me get my house back in order.
DLT: And have your neighbors been making use of the same services?
MH: Yes. I was just informed there was a tree removal service that, had I been informed of sooner, I probably could have utilized. Because I do have a tree in my backyard that I don't want to cut completely down, but I do want it trimmed down. They are also, I believe the city of Detroit may be putting in like u lines in the basement to try to stop the flooding in our basements. However, I haven't received that resource. I haven't received any information in reference to doing it to my house.
DLT: And, in your own career, have the organization been working for been affected by climate change?
MH: Now, when you say climate change, you just mean like the weather.
DLT: Yeah, whatever you would define as such.
MH: Not necessarily the weather. Originally I was a, I'm a CNA, a certified nursing assistant here in the state of Michigan, and the weather didn't have an impact, but Covid definitely did on my work.
DLT: Can you tell me a little bit more about COVID's impact?
MH: Well, I lost a lot of coworkers. I lost a lot of residents because I work in a nursing home. When Covid first hit, nobody knew what it was. However, the nursing homes are pretty much the ones that got hit with it the hardest, because they didn't know and it was spreading so rapidly within the nursing homes, and residents were dying so quickly. It had a large impact. Like, we were short staffed a lot due to Covid because a lot of the CNAs were getting sick, the nurses were getting sick, and nobody knew it wasn’t just the flu, but it wasn’t, it was Covid.
And even once it was recognized for what it really was, it still had a large impact because now you have people that don't want to come to work because they don't want to get infected, because they don't want to get their family infected, you know, things of that nature. I myself continued working. I quarantined myself, pretty much. So I didn't expose anybody to the virus while I was working. But I generally would work the Covid unit. I would always work the Covid unit, because nobody else wanted to work it and these people need care just like everyone else.
DLT: And what was it like working in the Covid unit and kind of isolating yourself?
MH: It wasn't that bad because I had a really good relationship with my residents. So if you ended up over here with me now you just get special treatment because there's only, like eight of you guys, you know what I mean? So I was able to provide more care and kind of make them feel more at ease about what they're going through, if indeed they made it out of it.
DLT: And what's the name of that nursing home?
MH: Back then it was Advantage Living Center. Now it's called the Orchards of Harper Woods.
DLT: And do you think that Covid had a lasting impact on that organization?
MH: On every last nursing home in the city, in the United States. Anywhere there was a nursing home, it had a large impact. I mean, just think about what happened in New York. It got so bad in New York that they literally were digging mass graves for them. And this is people, these are people are in the health care industry. Nurses are showing you I caught Covid and I'm dying from it. So it wasn't just a city thing. It wasn't just a one facility thing. It was globally.
DLT: And did it have a lasting impact on you personally?
MH: I lost some friends. I lost a lot of relatives. Well, not a lot, but I did lose some really, really close relatives due to Covid. So it did have, emotional effect on me because, like, some of my residents weren't really that old that ended up succumbing to Covid.
DLT: And did Covid have a large impact on your neighborhood?
MH: I can't say that it had a large impact on my neighborhood, because I don't recall any of my neighbors really passing away from Covid. I want you to understand that the neighborhood that I live in now is more so retired. It's an older community. So, you know, old people stay out the way.
DLT: Yeah.
MH: [Laughter]
DLT: And if the city could have, like, one piece of infrastructure that would help with these flooding issues, what would you want it to be?
MH: A pump. Some type of pump that would literally pump all of the water away from our homes. Because that was what happened on the 2021. The pump was not turned on.
DLT: And if there could be, one piece of, like, a program or infrastructure that a nonprofit organization would try to help with, what would you want that to be?
MH: An organization that will assist with all of the damages that are done to people's homes. Like I said, in my situation, when FEMA came out, they gave me like a $3,000 check. Now, mind you, my furnace alone was $4,700 brand new. So what in the Charles Dickens am I supposed to do with a $3,000 check? And I have sewage in my basement. My hot water tank is gone. My washer and dryer is gone. And let's not forget that $4,700 furnace. So in that type of situation and it was not like it wasn't itemized, these things were itemized. I even had the receipts to show how much I paid for these items.
Yet when FEMA decided to cut me a check, when I tell you they cut me a check for like a quarter of how much stuff I lost. It was just insulting. It really, really was. So in situations like this, there needs to be a program that actually does provide fair exchange. Because I also understand that depending on your area, you know, that has an impact. If you live in certain areas, you might get more money. If your house is worth a certain amount, you might get more money. And I don't think that that's fair because Grandma with her $20,000 house that she earned and paid for and paid off on her own, deserves just as much respect as that $200,000 house out in Grosse Pointe.
DLT: And what areas would say in particular, besides Grosse Pointe, would tend to get more money?
MH: I mean, just the suburban areas. Anything that's off the water that is suburban. Grosse Pointe, Saint Clair Shores, Eastpointe. Anything out there. Warren, Dearborn. These places get, they’re getting us a substantial amount of money compared to what people in the city of Detroit are getting.
DLT: And why do you think there's that discrepancy?
MH: Because it's the inner city. But right now, we are now getting to an era of— I try to be polite when I say the things that I say, because I don't want to be offensive. But in all honesty, the yuppies are coming. And now that the yuppies are coming, the city of Detroit has more value to it. Like I said, I live right over here by the water. Not too far. I live in a really, really big, nice house. When I bought my house, it valued at $50,000. But that was because it needed a lot of work. Right now, my house is coming in at $170,000. I only bought my house eight years ago. You know why the value of my house went up so much? Because the yuppies came over here, and now they're buying up everything, they're fixing it up, and the city of Detroit is trying to kiss their asses.
Because right now, as I speak to you, I've got the city of Detroit tearing up my sidewalk to replace parts of the sidewalk because it's a stepping hazard. Yet for the eight years I've been here, you were not concerned with that? No. Why? Because the yuppies are coming. And we as, and again, we as a community need to be vigilant in maintaining our own property. We need to own something sovereign. You know, it's so crazy. I pay attention to what's going on in Michigan. And something else that I have noticed is now Section Eight is opening up all in Macomb County and Warren and, you know, Oakland, all of these other areas where they used to they didn't do section eight. You know why?
DLT: No, why?
MH: So us can leave so they can come. Because I assure you, once they finish investing all this money in this beautiful riverwalk that they're putting up, and all of these other great things they're doing, Black folks ain’t going to be welcomed here anymore. So if you don't already own your property here, you will not be here. That's the city of Detroit for you, though.
DLT: And did you have anything else you wanted to discuss that none of my questions brought up yet?
MH: I'm a walking textbook. Ask me anything. I know you might be dying to ask me some other stuff. Go right ahead. Like, seriously, I don't mind.
DLT: That was pretty much all the questions I had for you today.
MH: Okay, well, then I'll just give you some information about myself.
DLT: Yeah, go ahead.
MH: Like I said, I was born in the area of Cadillac and Mack. Back when Cantrell Funeral Home was on the other side of the street. My grandfather used to run a bar over there near back Mack and Bewick. So I literally grew up in the hood. This is just so I can get you to get a little bit more understanding of who I am. From there, like I said, we moved to Mack and Chalmers, which I am, I like to tell people I am fast candy store old, Cordoba liquor store old, and Drexel record shop old. I went to high school with White Boy Rick. Like, I actually went to high school with that, so when it comes to the crack epidemic and what it did to the inner city in the city of Detroit, I definitely watched it unfold. I definitely saw the impact that it had on our community.
I went to Michigan State University. I majored in humanities pre-law. I did not graduate. Because I found life was just way more interesting when you live it, as opposed to sitting in a classroom. [Laughter] I used to run the number one underground college radio station in the country, which was called the Cultural Vibe at Michigan State University. I am the first person to ever play Slum Village on the radio, which is a very well-known Detroit-based group. J Dilla was the producer for them. He's such a phenomenal individual that before he— His beat making machine. I think I got a shirt with it on. Yeah. His beat making machine is in the Smithsonian.
DLT: Wow.
MH: That's some Detroit for you right there. Then, like I said, I bought my house about six, seven years ago over here by the water. I walk my dogs over to the park. Now I can't, because they've shut it down due to the renovations that they're making. I look forward to seeing all of this beautiful new stuff because I'm not leaving. I'm not selling my home. I can they can stop with the telemarketing calls, the text messaging, the emails. Your house is worth this. Don't you want to sell it? No, I'm not selling it. I'm going to be right here with you guys. So you beautify my city for me. Thank you.
DLT: What was the name of your radio station?
MH: The Cultural Vibe. 88.9 DBM East Lansing.
DLT: Thank you. And if there was anything in particular that you would want people to know about your neighborhood and your community, what would you want that to be?
MH: It is beautiful. Right now, my area is very diverse. I'm looking for a couple of multicultural individuals that I haven't gotten sprinkled into my neighborhood, but I'm looking forward to it. We are very close knit. We do care about each other. We speak, we look out for each other, and it's just a beautiful community to be in over here by the water. [Laughter]
DLT: And do you have any final thoughts you wanted to share before we wrap up the interview?
MH: Have a great day and an even better tomorrow.
DLT: Thank you so much for your time.
MH: You’re welcome.
MaLinda Hall: MaLinda. Capital M, lowercase a, capital L, lowercase i n d a. Last name Hall, h a l l.
DLT: Thank you. And do you live in the city of Detroit?
MH: Yes I do.
DLT: What neighborhood?
MH: I was born Cadillac and Mack back in the 70s. Then we moved to Mack and Chalmers from the 80s to 90s. Then I purchased a home in the Lakewood Jefferson area, 2015.
DLT: And in the years you've lived in this area, have you noticed, have you been affected by climate change at all?
MH: Absolutely. I would have never known that it was like this by the water, but it is.
DLT: Can you tell me a little bit about those effects?
MH: My basement floods a lot. I never experienced that on the other side of Jefferson or on the other side of Mack. But on this side, yeah. My basement floods. Which is, you know, interesting to say the least.
DLT: And does it flood regularly or just on specific storms?
MH: Really heavy storms. You're in a city. If we have a really, really bad storm, my basement probably will flood. I can get anywhere from a foot to about three feet of water.
DLT: And what are the effects of this?
MH: Well, the last big flood we had, I had just purchased a brand new furnace for my home. And when I say brand new, like, that January I bought the furnace, that May we had the flood. Brand new, which destroyed my brand new furnace that I could no longer replace because I had just replaced it. The long term effect that it had on me was, because I did not have a furnace in my basement, when the really, really cold winter came a couple of years ago, I had to use my fireplace, which caused a fire in my home.
DLT: And was this the 2021 flood?
MH: Yes.
DLT: Did you notice your neighbors getting affected by it as well?
MH: A lot of us were impacted by it. Some were able to get things repaired, some actually just walked away. Like, I had a couple of neighbors on my block alone that just, after that 2021 flood, just they left.
DLT: And what was the city's response to the floods from your perspective?
MH: The city did the blame game. They tried to say it was a natural disaster, but there was actually more to it than just a natural disaster. It was the city of Detroit's fault. So to try to alleviate themselves, from having to be responsible financially for it, they had FEMA come out here. FEMA did a really, really bad job in assessing the damage that was done. Which is why I couldn't replace my furnace.
DLT: And what do you feel the city should have done in that situation?
MH: The city should have replaced my furnace.
DLT: Have there been other major floods since then?
MH: Well, the curious thing is, the year I bought my house, I had been in my home for maybe two months. I had no idea that they flood down there [Laughter] and I was not at home. My twin sons were at home sleeping and his friend calls them. He says, man, run in your basement because our basement is flooding. So my son runs in the basement of our new home and it's flooding. So he's like, Ma, all of your stuff. He said all I could do was grab the fur coats. I knew not to leave the furs down there and not let them get messed up, but. So that was like my welcome to homeownership through the city of Detroit, my basement flooding about two, maybe three months into purchasing it.
So since I've owned my home, my basement has flooded a total of seven times. Three of them have been really bad, and the other four were, like, maybe a foot of water. But all of them, I honestly believe, all come from the city of Detroit. I don't really think they come from a natural disaster to that extent. It is a natural disaster as far as the rain. However, it's the way the city of Detroit handles the rainwater that causes the problem.
DLT: And have the responses changed over time since the 2021 flood, or is it still about the same?
MH: I mean, they are doing bits and pieces. But I can't say that has really changed anything. I know, like for me, myself, we just had a heavy rain and yeah, the water came up in my basement again. But this time it didn't come up bad.
DLT: And are you involved with the Treehouse Center?
MH: The who?
DLT: The Manistique Treehouse center?
MH: No.
DLT: Okay. Are there any organizations in your neighborhood that have been trying to respond to these issues?
MH: My neighborhood block association is one, as well as JEI, Jefferson East Incorporated. They both have been really trying to assist me in different ways with getting my home back in order.
DLT: And what are some of the services they're offering?
MH: Well, right now I have gotten my furnace replaced thanks to JEI, I've gotten Central Air in my home, which I did not have originally, thanks to JEI. Hopefully I will have some windows soon because, like I said, my house caught fire because I didn't have a furnace due to a flood. See how it all just ties into each other?
DLT: Absolutely.
MA: Well, the fire ended up destroying my roof. I just recently got the roof replaced on my own. So I'm just looking for whatever resources the city will offer to try to help me get my house back in order.
DLT: And have your neighbors been making use of the same services?
MH: Yes. I was just informed there was a tree removal service that, had I been informed of sooner, I probably could have utilized. Because I do have a tree in my backyard that I don't want to cut completely down, but I do want it trimmed down. They are also, I believe the city of Detroit may be putting in like u lines in the basement to try to stop the flooding in our basements. However, I haven't received that resource. I haven't received any information in reference to doing it to my house.
DLT: And, in your own career, have the organization been working for been affected by climate change?
MH: Now, when you say climate change, you just mean like the weather.
DLT: Yeah, whatever you would define as such.
MH: Not necessarily the weather. Originally I was a, I'm a CNA, a certified nursing assistant here in the state of Michigan, and the weather didn't have an impact, but Covid definitely did on my work.
DLT: Can you tell me a little bit more about COVID's impact?
MH: Well, I lost a lot of coworkers. I lost a lot of residents because I work in a nursing home. When Covid first hit, nobody knew what it was. However, the nursing homes are pretty much the ones that got hit with it the hardest, because they didn't know and it was spreading so rapidly within the nursing homes, and residents were dying so quickly. It had a large impact. Like, we were short staffed a lot due to Covid because a lot of the CNAs were getting sick, the nurses were getting sick, and nobody knew it wasn’t just the flu, but it wasn’t, it was Covid.
And even once it was recognized for what it really was, it still had a large impact because now you have people that don't want to come to work because they don't want to get infected, because they don't want to get their family infected, you know, things of that nature. I myself continued working. I quarantined myself, pretty much. So I didn't expose anybody to the virus while I was working. But I generally would work the Covid unit. I would always work the Covid unit, because nobody else wanted to work it and these people need care just like everyone else.
DLT: And what was it like working in the Covid unit and kind of isolating yourself?
MH: It wasn't that bad because I had a really good relationship with my residents. So if you ended up over here with me now you just get special treatment because there's only, like eight of you guys, you know what I mean? So I was able to provide more care and kind of make them feel more at ease about what they're going through, if indeed they made it out of it.
DLT: And what's the name of that nursing home?
MH: Back then it was Advantage Living Center. Now it's called the Orchards of Harper Woods.
DLT: And do you think that Covid had a lasting impact on that organization?
MH: On every last nursing home in the city, in the United States. Anywhere there was a nursing home, it had a large impact. I mean, just think about what happened in New York. It got so bad in New York that they literally were digging mass graves for them. And this is people, these are people are in the health care industry. Nurses are showing you I caught Covid and I'm dying from it. So it wasn't just a city thing. It wasn't just a one facility thing. It was globally.
DLT: And did it have a lasting impact on you personally?
MH: I lost some friends. I lost a lot of relatives. Well, not a lot, but I did lose some really, really close relatives due to Covid. So it did have, emotional effect on me because, like, some of my residents weren't really that old that ended up succumbing to Covid.
DLT: And did Covid have a large impact on your neighborhood?
MH: I can't say that it had a large impact on my neighborhood, because I don't recall any of my neighbors really passing away from Covid. I want you to understand that the neighborhood that I live in now is more so retired. It's an older community. So, you know, old people stay out the way.
DLT: Yeah.
MH: [Laughter]
DLT: And if the city could have, like, one piece of infrastructure that would help with these flooding issues, what would you want it to be?
MH: A pump. Some type of pump that would literally pump all of the water away from our homes. Because that was what happened on the 2021. The pump was not turned on.
DLT: And if there could be, one piece of, like, a program or infrastructure that a nonprofit organization would try to help with, what would you want that to be?
MH: An organization that will assist with all of the damages that are done to people's homes. Like I said, in my situation, when FEMA came out, they gave me like a $3,000 check. Now, mind you, my furnace alone was $4,700 brand new. So what in the Charles Dickens am I supposed to do with a $3,000 check? And I have sewage in my basement. My hot water tank is gone. My washer and dryer is gone. And let's not forget that $4,700 furnace. So in that type of situation and it was not like it wasn't itemized, these things were itemized. I even had the receipts to show how much I paid for these items.
Yet when FEMA decided to cut me a check, when I tell you they cut me a check for like a quarter of how much stuff I lost. It was just insulting. It really, really was. So in situations like this, there needs to be a program that actually does provide fair exchange. Because I also understand that depending on your area, you know, that has an impact. If you live in certain areas, you might get more money. If your house is worth a certain amount, you might get more money. And I don't think that that's fair because Grandma with her $20,000 house that she earned and paid for and paid off on her own, deserves just as much respect as that $200,000 house out in Grosse Pointe.
DLT: And what areas would say in particular, besides Grosse Pointe, would tend to get more money?
MH: I mean, just the suburban areas. Anything that's off the water that is suburban. Grosse Pointe, Saint Clair Shores, Eastpointe. Anything out there. Warren, Dearborn. These places get, they’re getting us a substantial amount of money compared to what people in the city of Detroit are getting.
DLT: And why do you think there's that discrepancy?
MH: Because it's the inner city. But right now, we are now getting to an era of— I try to be polite when I say the things that I say, because I don't want to be offensive. But in all honesty, the yuppies are coming. And now that the yuppies are coming, the city of Detroit has more value to it. Like I said, I live right over here by the water. Not too far. I live in a really, really big, nice house. When I bought my house, it valued at $50,000. But that was because it needed a lot of work. Right now, my house is coming in at $170,000. I only bought my house eight years ago. You know why the value of my house went up so much? Because the yuppies came over here, and now they're buying up everything, they're fixing it up, and the city of Detroit is trying to kiss their asses.
Because right now, as I speak to you, I've got the city of Detroit tearing up my sidewalk to replace parts of the sidewalk because it's a stepping hazard. Yet for the eight years I've been here, you were not concerned with that? No. Why? Because the yuppies are coming. And we as, and again, we as a community need to be vigilant in maintaining our own property. We need to own something sovereign. You know, it's so crazy. I pay attention to what's going on in Michigan. And something else that I have noticed is now Section Eight is opening up all in Macomb County and Warren and, you know, Oakland, all of these other areas where they used to they didn't do section eight. You know why?
DLT: No, why?
MH: So us can leave so they can come. Because I assure you, once they finish investing all this money in this beautiful riverwalk that they're putting up, and all of these other great things they're doing, Black folks ain’t going to be welcomed here anymore. So if you don't already own your property here, you will not be here. That's the city of Detroit for you, though.
DLT: And did you have anything else you wanted to discuss that none of my questions brought up yet?
MH: I'm a walking textbook. Ask me anything. I know you might be dying to ask me some other stuff. Go right ahead. Like, seriously, I don't mind.
DLT: That was pretty much all the questions I had for you today.
MH: Okay, well, then I'll just give you some information about myself.
DLT: Yeah, go ahead.
MH: Like I said, I was born in the area of Cadillac and Mack. Back when Cantrell Funeral Home was on the other side of the street. My grandfather used to run a bar over there near back Mack and Bewick. So I literally grew up in the hood. This is just so I can get you to get a little bit more understanding of who I am. From there, like I said, we moved to Mack and Chalmers, which I am, I like to tell people I am fast candy store old, Cordoba liquor store old, and Drexel record shop old. I went to high school with White Boy Rick. Like, I actually went to high school with that, so when it comes to the crack epidemic and what it did to the inner city in the city of Detroit, I definitely watched it unfold. I definitely saw the impact that it had on our community.
I went to Michigan State University. I majored in humanities pre-law. I did not graduate. Because I found life was just way more interesting when you live it, as opposed to sitting in a classroom. [Laughter] I used to run the number one underground college radio station in the country, which was called the Cultural Vibe at Michigan State University. I am the first person to ever play Slum Village on the radio, which is a very well-known Detroit-based group. J Dilla was the producer for them. He's such a phenomenal individual that before he— His beat making machine. I think I got a shirt with it on. Yeah. His beat making machine is in the Smithsonian.
DLT: Wow.
MH: That's some Detroit for you right there. Then, like I said, I bought my house about six, seven years ago over here by the water. I walk my dogs over to the park. Now I can't, because they've shut it down due to the renovations that they're making. I look forward to seeing all of this beautiful new stuff because I'm not leaving. I'm not selling my home. I can they can stop with the telemarketing calls, the text messaging, the emails. Your house is worth this. Don't you want to sell it? No, I'm not selling it. I'm going to be right here with you guys. So you beautify my city for me. Thank you.
DLT: What was the name of your radio station?
MH: The Cultural Vibe. 88.9 DBM East Lansing.
DLT: Thank you. And if there was anything in particular that you would want people to know about your neighborhood and your community, what would you want that to be?
MH: It is beautiful. Right now, my area is very diverse. I'm looking for a couple of multicultural individuals that I haven't gotten sprinkled into my neighborhood, but I'm looking forward to it. We are very close knit. We do care about each other. We speak, we look out for each other, and it's just a beautiful community to be in over here by the water. [Laughter]
DLT: And do you have any final thoughts you wanted to share before we wrap up the interview?
MH: Have a great day and an even better tomorrow.
DLT: Thank you so much for your time.
MH: You’re welcome.
Collection
Citation
“MaLinda Hall, May 18th, 2024,” Detroit Historical Society Oral History Archive, accessed February 8, 2025, https://oralhistory.detroithistorical.org/items/show/1017.