Winston E. Willis facts for kids
Winston Earl Willis (born October 21, 1939) is an American businessman who built a large real estate company in Cleveland, Ohio, starting in the early 1960s. He created a company called University Circle Properties Development, Inc. (UCPD, Inc.). This company owned many properties in Cleveland and was the biggest employer of Black people in that area. At one point, more than 23 businesses were running at the same time under UCPD at East 105th and Euclid. In the 1970s and 80s, Willis faced legal challenges and lost his properties in 1983. He has been in legal battles with the city of Cleveland for many years, even taking his case to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2007.
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Winston Willis's Early Life
Winston Willis was born on October 21, 1939, in Montgomery, Alabama. He was the third of five children. His parents, Clarence C. Willis and Alberta Frazier Willis, were also from Montgomery. The Willis children went to St. Jude Educational Institute.
In 1954, when Winston was 14, his family moved to Detroit. His father, who had worked as a carpet installer, found a good job. The family settled in a quiet neighborhood near Dearborn. There, Winston started his own small newspaper called the Western Detroit Shopping News. He wrote, printed, and delivered it himself to advertise local businesses. Winston's time in high school at Chadsey High School was short and simple.
Starting His First Businesses
Winston began by selling encyclopedias door-to-door. This led to him being arrested for being in wealthy white neighborhoods. He also knew a lot about installing floors from working with his father. This skill helped him get a job at a tile store in Detroit, where he became a manager.
His big dream was to go to Hollywood and become the first successful Black movie producer. Before heading west, he visited relatives in Cleveland in 1958. While there, he played a billiards game called One-Pocket for four days and won thousands of dollars. He decided to stay in Cleveland for a bit longer.
At 19, Willis rented an old car showroom and opened The Jazz Temple. This was a coffeehouse and nightclub that did not serve alcohol. It quickly became very popular.
The Jazz Temple: A Popular Spot
Willis invited famous jazz musicians like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, and Herbie Hancock to perform at his club. Important figures like Malcolm X and Stokely Carmichael also visited. Comedians such as Redd Foxx, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, and Dick Gregory performed there too.
The Jazz Temple was a trendy place, especially for college students. It welcomed people of all races, including interracial couples. This caused anger and threats from some people in the community who were against racial mixing. A bomb was placed in the club, and Willis closed it a few weeks later. He then opened another business, the Hot Potato Restaurant, in Cleveland. This small restaurant helped him save money for his next big idea.
Building a Business Empire
Willis wanted to bring life back to a large area of land at East 105th Street and Euclid Avenue. This area, known as Doan's Corner, had a famous theater where comedian Bob Hope started his career. The neighborhood had become rundown after the Hough Riots in 1966 and the Glenville Shootout in 1968. These events caused many white families and businesses to leave Cleveland's neighborhoods, especially on Euclid Avenue.
After a long legal fight, Willis bought the property. It was located between University Circle and the Cleveland Clinic.
Businesses on Euclid Avenue
Willis opened many different businesses on the Euclid Avenue strip. He created University Circle Properties Development, Inc. (UCPD, Inc.) to manage them. These businesses included restaurants, movie theaters, clothing stores, bars, a food market, a check-cashing store, and an arcade. At one point, there were 28 businesses employing over 400 people. In 1973, a newspaper called the Cleveland Press featured Willis's success in a story titled: “Winston Willis’ Miracle on East 105th Street...”.
Fighting for His Land
The land Willis owned was in an area the city wanted for a large medical and educational complex. This complex would connect Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals, and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Willis fought the city in court. Local newspapers reported on his many lawsuits.
One newspaper headline said, "Willis Alleges Land Squeeze In Area Around E. 105 and Euclid." A front-page article in Plain Dealer on July 13, 1977, reported: "Cleveland businessman, Winston E. Willis yesterday filed a $100 million dollar lawsuit charging that the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, University Circle Inc.,(UCI) and others are monopolizing real estate and violating antitrust laws." Willis claimed he and his tenants were being forced out of business. Many of the lawsuits Willis filed were dismissed by the courts.
The Community Billboards
To fight the city, Willis put up a large billboard on the side of his building overlooking Euclid Avenue. This was a main road for people driving to downtown Cleveland. He used the billboard to speak out against what he saw as unfair actions by local officials and powerful organizations. He also spoke about racism in the community.
This "community billboard" became a well-known sight for people in the neighborhood. Willis changed the message every two weeks. The signs were seen as embarrassing by some powerful people in the University Circle area. W.O. Walker, a respected publisher in the Black community, warned Willis: "Take those billboards down, son. These white people will crucify you." Walker also tried to convince city planners to include Black businessmen in their plans, but he was not successful. There were talks in City Hall about taking control of the area. Carl B. Stokes, Cleveland's first African-American mayor, tried to stop these takeover attempts.
The Loss of His Empire
Willis was accused of writing a bad check, which was later found to be false. He was arrested and held in solitary confinement for ten days at a prison in Chillicothe, Ohio. During this time, his lawyers could not reach him. While he was isolated, all of his properties on Euclid Avenue were taken and quickly torn down. He did not receive fair payment for his land, buildings, and businesses.
After being released, Willis filed a legal complaint. Professor Spencer Neth, a law expert, reviewed the check case. He found that the check had been paid and the matter was closed. He believed there should not have been an arrest or trial. However, the judge in Willis's case did not allow Professor Neth to share his findings.
While Willis was held far away in Chillicothe, his business complex on Euclid Avenue was surrounded by many Cleveland police officers and S.W.A.T. teams. For all 10 days of his imprisonment, police watched the complex around the clock. Unmarked police cars were at every intersection. Witnesses said that a "wrecking ball swung quickly and unmercifully," turning the tall brick buildings into an empty dirt lot. Within a few days, nothing was left of Willis's business empire.
Willis believes that taking land from Black people in this country is a continuation of slavery.
Winston Willis in Recent Years
After many years in Cleveland courtrooms fighting for his property rights, Willis has become very knowledgeable about the law. He now lives a quiet life, far from the busy business world he once knew. Since his large business empire was destroyed in 1982, he has focused on one main goal: getting paid for his lands and receiving the relocation benefits he believes he is owed by the government.
Most recently, he prepared a special request called a Petition for Writ of Mandamus to the United States Supreme Court. His request was accepted and recorded. However, the Supreme Court later denied his petition. But Willis continues to fight for his property rights, which he believes are protected by the Constitution. As noted in a 2001 Associated Press series called Torn From The Land, many similar cases of property theft from African Americans have been documented. Dr. Raymond Winbush, a scholar and activist, said these thefts are "just the tip of one of the biggest crimes of this country's history."
Willis believes that denying a person the right to own property is a form of slavery. He states, "To deny a person their right to own property is a form of slavery. I am a slave without bondage."
