Uly·
e
Adam
. I
a
Detroit
AIIII_J
FERNDALE Ulysses
Adams is a man who practices
what be preach . Rely on hard
VtlOrk; build on aD education.
AdamsoWDS Ferndale Food­
land, �tno' d N'me Mile.
For Adams, owning the store is
the realization of a dream and
the hope of greater things yet to
come.
It was a dream that dated .
back to his high school days in
Milledgeville, Georgia where he
worked in a local grocery store
as a elf stocker and bigger.
A scholarship from Alpha
Pbi Alpha Fraternity helped
him through two years at Lewis
College in Detroit where he
majored in business administra­
tion.
While a student at LeW, he
worked at Kroger. vari�ty of merchandise and has
"The sweat of my brow," says a number of specialty depart-
Adams, t him from menu. A deli offers catering
� employee to employer. In 1984, service; a cheese shop presents
Kroger was c1osiDgstores across marray from around the world;
metro-Detroit. Adams saw and the in-store bakery serves up
seized the opportunity to realize ., fresh baked goods daily. There
his dream of owning his own is a floral s op stocked with
grocery.. fresh flowers and green foliage;
He linked up with Foodland fruit baskets, gift packages and
Distributors which serves as a gift items for all occasions.
wholesaler for major inde- The store is one of the fe!i,
pendent grocer in the Detroit full service groceries open 24
area. In 1984, the sign Foodland hours a day, seven days a wee
went up at the former Kroger The variety and range of
store on Livernois nd ine products is one of the aspects of
Mile. Ulyesses Adams was in business ownership that Adams
business for himself. fi ds mo rewarding. "To b ve
liThe· s eat of \
y bro ," I
s 'is Adams,
took him
from
employee to
. employer.
what the people want. To serve
the public. To have a clean, neat,
weD-staffed, organized store is
one of the most rewarding parts
of business, " Adams said
To accomplish this takes
work d that is one thing
Adams i not aid of. It is the
one s e next to educa­
tion that Adams dvises young
people to be prepared for when
going into business,
"Young people today must
have formal education," said
Adams.
To encourage hi own
employees to obtain that educa­
tion, Adams promises those
who go away to school that they
have a job waiting 'for them
during the su� break.
Adams' success with Food­
land is hope of more to OODJe.
He dreams of owning a chain of
grocery stores and th ugh he
won't elaborate, says ere are
some things he's looking at for
the next year or two •.
Adams and his wife Carolyn
have two children, Paul J.
Adams who will transfer from
Oakland Community eonege to
Michlgan State in Sep ember,
and Farrah Adams who ttends .
Thompson Middle School in
Southfield
Ulysse Adams' hard work
has carried him far and it's 0b­
vious his climb . n't comp ted.
�
I
I
I
o Id·War II
.. HBy C tion, which Blacks endured � heroism of thi Afri Ameican
the military. . soldiers.
Last year I was proud to in- The 369th Infantry Rogi- On many occasions the
troduee legislation whim gave ment, part of the 93rd Division French wanted to decorate
. Congressional recognition to which became one of the mo t members of the 369th, only to be
the U.S. Army's 24th Infantry noted of the Black fighting units, discouraged from doing soby
Regiment, a then Blac majority fought in France for 191 straight the American Expedition
unit which began its distin- days and never lost a foot of Force. An exception was made
guished service from the ground. Yet the fact that the when two Black .soldiers, S�.
western frontier days until 369th was constantly in combat henry Johnson and Privat
. desegregation of the military was indicative of the racism, of Needham Roberts displayed
during the Korean War. the times Florette Henri, author uncommon valor .while defend-
Black History month gives us of "Bitter Victory", provides this ing an isolated outpost Bernard
an opportunity to honor this and insightful observation: C. Nalty, author of "Strength for
other valiant African American "One reason why the 369th the Fight", writes:
combat group who served this was so continuously in the front "In May, 1918, when the unit
nation courageously, who, like lines was that there were no "rest was receiving its introduction to
the 24th Infantry, did not gain areas" in the rear for Black sol- warfare on the western front, a
proper historical recognition. diers, as there were for white German raiding party in quest
.' Th unsung· chievements soldiers. Also, while while sol- of pre oners attacked the obser-
. and valor of A&ican American diers might spend their days of v tion post occupied by the two
soldiers who served in World leave in French cities or towns, Black -soldiers. Although both
W3! I e exam s of �is his- Blae soldiers were forbidden Johnson and Roberts were
toraca� neglect. The heroic con- to. They were not always wel- wounded, they refused to sur-
�_dUt1Onsd 930fdthDe .�.my's B�c.k . come even in the YMCA can- render, fighting back with rifle
7"",.an II IVWODS �e m- teens, hich provided. fare, hand grenades, and even a
credible hen on� �nslders hospitality for soldiers in their bolo knife. These two men
tha� not only � �hm Cr�W- rest periods." broke the barrier against
raasm pre�ent ID the United The French army, our .allies decorations for members of die
'��_I� ... !-��!C1ll .iAthe araga' tGennauy, ad .. -9lfd Division, receive S the
UI� uauUlUDa mired and cctcd t e Pre CROIXDEGUERRE.
�
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