We have a love for the city of Detroit and wanted to combine our passion with Dr. George's love of anthropology – resulting in this website.
If you're wondering, anthropology is the holistic, biocultural, and comparative study of humanity. It explores human biology and cultural diversity across time and space. By examining the origins of, and changes in, biology and culture, anthropology provides explanations for similarities and differences among humans and their worlds.
As a cultural anthropologist, culture is at the core of Dr. George's studies. What is culture, you ask? It is "...that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, arts, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society." (Edward Tylor, 1871)
From anthropology, you can learn not only about other cultures but also tolerance, critical thinking skills, and how to avoid stereotypes! Basically, you will learn that people are more alike than they are different. As Dr. Detroit says, "I make adjustments to the human mind!"
The goal of this website is to explore various aspects of Detroit culture over time and space. Detroit is truly a melting pot of different cultures, races, ethnicities, and more. We cannot possibly capture every aspect, but please be patient as we strive to do so.
Felicia "Dr. Detroit" George
Anthropologist/Website Content Manager
I am a proud product of Detroit. I graduated from Cass Technical High School in 1991 before obtaining degrees from Wayne State University as both a “Tartar” and a “Warrior.” With three degrees from the country’s best urban university, I consider myself a true Wayne Stater. I graduated in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. While working on my degree, I was fortunate enough to conduct psychopharmacology research for two years. In 2000, I obtained my Master of Interdisciplinary Studies degree, completing my thesis, “The War on Drugs: A Calculated Attack on African-American Males by the Criminal Justice System?” In August of 2015, after completing my dissertation on numbers gambling in Detroit, I was awarded my Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Anthropology.
I have been a part-time faculty member at Wayne State University since 2010, teaching Introduction to Anthropology, Business Anthropology, and Urban Anthropology.
I am the author of When Detroit Played the Numbers: Gambling's History and Cultural Impact on the Motor City.
I am the proud wife of Anthony, daughter of Barbara and Rayburn, and mother to Jasmine.
Barbara "The Honorary Doctor" Dale
Historical Researcher/Content Adviser
I am proud to say I have lived a lot of life. I was born and raised in Franklin, Tennessee, before marrying my husband of 56 years. During those years, we moved between Tennessee and Detroit and had six wonderful children.
Throughout my many years, I lived through southern Jim Crow laws, lynchings, the recovery after World War II, the Golden Age of Television, the Korean War, the Cold War, the Space Race, the Civil Rights movement, the assassinations of Martin Luther King, President John F. Kennedy, and Robert Kennedy, the Bay of Pigs, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, Black Power, the second wave of feminism, the pill, abortion rights, the gay rights movement, the hippie era, Watergate, race riots, the Disco era, Motown’s greatness, the oil crisis, the war on drugs, and too many terrorist attacks to count… I could go on and on. Did I mention I witnessed fashion trends come and go? I've seen cars evolve over time, not to mention the profound influence of technology on our world.
In 2009, my daughter drafted me to assist her in her research for her PhD. (She paid me in socks.) The hours we spent going through old newspapers and other historical archives made me fall in love with Detroit’s history. At the same time, I realized just how much history I have lived through.
Today, I continue to spend time going through archives and helping to build content for this website... and I'm still being paid in socks.
Anthony George
Website Administrator
I was born in Queens, New York, and spent my formative years growing up in Columbus, Ohio, Brooklyn, New York, and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. I've had the pleasure of working in various industries throughout my life and have lived in and visited places far and wide. As an Air Force veteran, I was fortunate to be stationed in Western Germany, specifically in Rhineland-Palatinate, at the Bitburg Air Base. Living off-base allowed me to immerse myself in German culture for five enriching years. During my time in Europe, I traveled to England, Switzerland, Italy, Croatia, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. In 1985, amidst the Cold War, I witnessed President Ronald Reagan's visit to Bitburg and the historic dismantling of the Berlin Wall.
Outside of my military service, I worked on Wall Street before relocating to the Detroit area in 1992 to manage a small cable company. It was here that I met my wife and truly embraced being a Detroiter. After seven years in the cable industry, I transitioned to General Motors, where I eventually retired. Now, my days are filled with gardening, golfing, painting, enjoying music, and supporting Dr. Detroit!"