Motown Masterpiece:

Hitsville U.S.A

Minahel Munir
Dr. James Buccellato
Honors 1000
23 November 2015

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Hitsville U.S.A recording studio stands as a symbol of Detroits legacy. The green
historical sign in front of the building reminds each passerby that the history of Motown is rooted
in the heart of Detroit. Undeniably, Motown is an extension of the people of Detroit. As black
Detroiters raged for racial equality, Motown recorded music at Hitsville to bridge the gap between
races. As inner-city kids faded into poverty and lack of education, Motown drew the eyes of the
entire world, and forced people to notice Detroit. Motown is the prodigy of Detroit. It is the
spokesman for the minorities of America. Therefore, in this essay, I outline three themes that prove
Motown music overcame racial barriers and created unity. This nudged open a path for minority
voices to be heard, and was a stepping stone to racial equality. First, I will discuss the history of
Motown. Next, I will share the behavioral and physical qualities of the Hitsville Motown Museum.
Lastly, I will evaluate the past and present impact of Motown on race relations, Detroits identity,
and on the world.
Initially, we must delve into a brief history of Motown in order to understand its true value.
In the 1960s, Detroit was teeming with racial tensions. As a result, the black community was
barred, taunted, harassed, and priced out of the relative prosperity of suburbia (Martelle 191).
Whats more, as whites fled the less segregated urban setting, lower income black families were
left to sift through the ashes of depleting job opportunities in the city. White people knew that the
time of industrial wealth was over and they left. Black people were denied, often by law, to do so.
Paradoxically, in a decade of racial riot and rebellion, a black-owned record label swept the city
and eventually the nation in an unprecedented wave that flattened racial fences (Quispel 227).
This company is the one and only Motown.
Before Berry Gordy established the legendary Motown record label and Hitsville Studio in
1959 on a loan of eight-hundred dollars, the dreariness of blues monopolized the music industry

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(Tour Guide). In fact, blues and jazz reflected the essence of America at the time dismal, slowpaced, and old-fashioned. However, Gordy changed the norm and provided lyrics of hope and
love, something not only music, but also the American society lacked (Tour Guide). Gordy wanted
to make music for everyone because Motown was about people who loved each other
(Museum Video). Yet, despite Gordys goal for a broad reach, the music appealed in particular to
the younger generation of the 60s. In one article, Gerald Early claimed that "Motown was the
sound of young America" (Motown's impact 15). In fact, this was crucial to the rise of
Motowns interracial influence. The young of the era both black and white were eager to put
the bleak music of the time behind them (Tour Guide). Therefore, when Gordy produced lively,
upbeat music, all racial boundaries at concerts were discarded and whites and blacks laughed,
danced, and came together (Museum Video). However, it is imperative to note that at this time,
blacks were more concerned with searching for their cultural roots and whites were uninterested
in the common music of the black community blues (Quispel 228). Indeed, it was an
innumerable feat that Gordy pulled blacks and whites into a common pool of interest. Moreover,
from the songs Gordy wrote using the beats of the assembly line at Ford, to the iconic music of
The Temptations, Motown changed the way people saw one another (Tour Guide). Detroiters of all
races shared in their pride and love for Motown, and saw one another not as enemies, but as
people with similar likes, dislikes, values, and ideals.
Additionally, the modern day Hitsville U.S.A now a museum reflects the unifying
qualities of 1960s Motown. I noted both behavioral and physical properties that attest to Motowns
contribution to cross-cultural harmony. First I will discuss notable behaviors within the setting. We
accessed the site at around one-thirty in the afternoon on Thursday, November 12, 2015. Although
this was a work day, the museum had a fair amount of visitors. A small tour group of about twenty

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people was formed spontaneously. Since this was no predetermined target group, the visitors came
from a wide range of ages and backgrounds. I noticed a fair amount of high school and college
students, a few younger children, and a handful of forty-or-older adults. There was an even split of
gender and an even amount of both black and white visitors, with only a few other ethnicities
(including myself). Almost all of the workers were black. Our tour guide, a short but spirited black
woman, engaged her audience as much as possible. She projected her voice, joked and laughed,
demonstrated dance moves, and continually asked the audience questions. The tour group was
relaxed and everyone seemed comfortable. People were enjoying the informal atmosphere, but
also seemed reverent and fully engrossed in the history and photos surrounding them. The tour
group was asked to sing, dance, and clap quite a few times as well, and everyone obliged with
enthusiasm.
Now, I will outline some of the overlying physical properties of Hitsville U.S.A. The
museum building is located on West Grand Boulevard Street in the heart of Detroit. Back in the
60s, every house on the block belonged to the Motown label. Each building had its specific
function in the 60s and Gordy created superstars the way Ford created cars (Quispel 233). Inside,
the building was fairly small but brimming with history. The first room was full of black and white
photos. It also displayed clothes worn by the Jackson 5, The Supremes, and Michaels Jacksons
glove and hat. There was a small room to see what Gordys home looked like. Lastly, there was
Studio A, where all the songs were recorded and the original piano still stands. At the end of the
museum, a large map hung on the wall, with pins in all the countries from which visitors came to
Hitsville U.S.A.
Next, we must look at the implication of this data on the importance of Motown. My data
can be used to address the following questions: Did Motown serve to create unity in the past and is

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it still doing so today? What does this mean for Detroit? Firstly, I want to address the museum
workers. Inferences can be drawn from the fact that most of them were black. This demonstrates
the black communitys pride in Motown. Esther Edwards, Gordys sister, exclaimed: We had
made history and become an American success story. We had a global impact (Capos). Motown
was the first widespread American success story for the black community, and therefore a
marker for future progress. I believe that the black community recognized that Motown was the
start of the possibility of the American Dream for minorities. The black community taking pride
and preserving Hitsville as well as the green sign declaring Hitsville a historical site is a small
nod at the monumental step Gordy took for minorities in America. Furthermore, Motown inspired
young minorities everywhere. Seeing the massive success of Gordys company, black children
could believe that they, too, might stand a chance in this capitalist, white-supremacist society.
Moreover, I noted that everyone in the tour group was different. Even in present day, a
plethora of races, ages, and classes of people came together to experience Motown. Without any
notice of our differences, we were comfortable with one another in this setting. Furthermore, the
tour guides manner was an obvious attempt to recreate the feel of Hitsville and Motown music in
the 1960s and it worked. The allure of the Motown atmosphere was palpable; we shared intimate
moments with complete strangers, and sang in the Studio together without any regard for who was
who. I imagine the same irresistible happiness that took hold of us and unified us, affected people
in the 60s. In fact, many of the White inhabitants of Detroit, who were supposed to react so
unfavorably to a film that prominently featured the Black Supremes, liked their music and
probably bought their records (226). Thus, even in the race-polarized past, Motown had an
unexplainable appeal to everyone.

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Furthermore, Hitsvilles location promoted mingling of the classes and still does to this
day. Since the studio was set up in the heart of Detroit, it was accessible to those even in the lower
class, and still drew in those of the higher class. Similarly, a range of people around the world are
still drawn to Motown. The map in the museum was so covered in dots that is was hard to make
out the specific countries and states. A Harvard study found that only three names in U.S.
entertainment [were] recognizable anywhere in the world. One was Disney. One was Playboy. The
other was Motown (Harris). Motown is a phenomenon that continues to pique the interest of the
entire world. More than anything, Motown is still doing what it did in the past integrating racial
and cultural tolerance into society, and forming a common ground for all.
Despite Gordys impact on American society, many Detroiters and blacks felt abandoned
when Gordy moved Motown from Detroit to Los Angeles in 1970 and sold the company to a
white man (Motown's impact 15). Yet, despite Motowns relocation, it can be argued that the
company is still uniquely Detroits. As I have outlined, Motown music cut across cultural and
ethnic lines and captivated an entire generation. It not only changed the public image of black
performers, but also inspired inner-city youths and rekindled a sense of pride in Detroit (Capos).
Yet there is more to the story. Motown was created by and for Detroit. It nurtured Detroits talent
and cleaned its wounds, and in return, Detroit became a home for the legend we call Motown.
After all, it was Detroit that birthed the assembly line after which Gordy modeled his studio. It
was Detroit which harbored some of the most violent rebellions in 1967, which further crippled
the relationship between races (Martelle 195). It was Detroit that fell into economic adversity and
succumbed to poverty. But it was also Detroit which embraced the efforts of Gordy and allowed
Motown hope, love, and unity to seep into its very identity. We as Detroiters are battered, but
we are nothing short of the masterpiece and world-wide spark of Motown itself.

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Works Cited

Capos, Claudia. "Motown's Birthplace Gets Set to Celebrate 50th Anniversary; Motown Sound
Inspired Inner-City Youth, Rekindled a City's Pride." Toronto Star: T12. Feb 23
2008. ProQuest. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.
Harris, Rosemary, and Gazette Telegraph. "Motown President Busby Relishes His Piece of the
American Dream/ Exec Realized Record Company is an Institution." Colorado Springs
Gazette - Telegraph: E4. May 28 1993. ProQuest. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.
Martelle, Scott. Detroit: A Biography. Chicago, IL: Chicago Review, 2012. Print.
"Motown's Impact on American Culture." USA Today 1995: 15. ProQuest. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.
Quispel, Chris. "Detroit, City of Cars, City of Music." Built Environment 31.3 (2005): 226-36.
JSTOR [JSTOR]. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.
Tour Guide. "Motown's History." Personal interview. 12 Nov. 2015.