CATCH THE SPIRIT OF IDLEWILD Founded in 1912, during the height of racial segregation in America, Idlewild, known popularly as Michigan’s “Black Eden,” was established as a peacefully scenic and tranquil vacation resort for Blacks. Coming from mid-western cities such as Detroit, Chicago, Gary, Cleveland, and Indianapolis, middle-class Blacks built cottages and summer homes around Lake Idlewild. Counted among the early land owners in Idlewild was Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, known as the first person to successfully conduct open heart surgery.   During the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s, Idlewild became humorously renowned as a place where the men were idle and the women wild. In the face of racial segregation elsewhere around the country, Idlewild proudly hosted the country’s leading Black entertainers, such as the Four Tops, Della Reese, Jackie Wilson, and Sarah Vaughn, and became the seasonal home and vacation destination for many prominent Blacks, including novelist Charles Chestnut, scholar-activist W.E.B. DuBois, entrepreneur Madame C.J. Walker, and boxer Joe Louis.   With the rise of integration, the famed entertainers that drew such large crowds in Idlewild sought other venues to showcase their talents. Consequently, the rural resort began to wane in popularity during the mid-1960s.