On this day in 1825, we remember Lisette Denison, the first Black woman landowner in Michigan, who bought 48.5 acres in Pontiac in 1825. We also highlight the 1955 announcement of the polio vaccine's success by the University of Michigan. Additionally, in 2016, Michigan State University took a significant step to combat climate change by ceasing coal burning in their power plants.
TRANSCRIPT
Today in 1825, Lisette Denison, became the first Black woman to become a landowner in Michigan. Born an enslaved person in Macomb County, Denison would eventually escape to Canada, then return a free woman living in Detroit, becoming a shrewd real estate speculator building a sizable amount of money for herself, and buying 48 and a half acres for herself in Pontiac on this date in 1825. She also wound up owning several properties, including in today’s Greektown neighborhood in downtown Detroit.
And today in 1955, the University of Michigan School of Public Health announced at Rackham Auditorium that after a 2-year trial, the polio vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk was 90% effective in preventing paralytic Polio.
Finally, today in 2016, in an effort to combat climate change, Michigan State University announced they would no longer burn coal in their power plants.