Detroit Ski Club Members Embrace Their Historic History
The Jim Dandy Ski Club is still carving new paths for African-American skiers.
The fight for civil rights in the 1950s and 60s extended to every part of society – including the ski slopes.
Detroit’s Jim Dandy Ski Club blazed a trail as the first African-American ski club in the country. The group – founded by Frank Blount, William Morgan and Reginald Wilson – faced exclusion and racism everywhere they went in the US. Despite those obstacles, the club’s membership continued to grow.
WDET’s Russ McNamara spoke with current JDSC president Miles Maxey, former club president Mark Jackson and longtime member Helen Gentry. They discussed the club’s history, and just how far the pioneering group has come from their humble Motor City roots.
Click the audio player above to listen to the story.
