November 26th 2023.
Rhonda Morrison is carrying on her family's legacy with House of Morrison Shoe Repair, a business her father, the late Theodore Morrison, started in 1954 in the Detroit area. According to the Detroit Free Press, House of Morrison is part of the larger Avenue of Fashion, a section of Detroit encompassing the area between Clarita and 7 Mile Road.
Morrison shared with the Detroit Free Press her vision for the business corridor, “In this business corridor, we share a vision of being successful, and what we have figured out is that the best way for us all to be successful is to work together.” In times of conflict or confusion, Morrison functions as a motherly figure, drawing on lessons she learned from her own upbringing, “Where there is confusion, I always try to find a solution. And sometimes all you have to do is just give a big ole hug,” Morrison said. “That is what’s needed sometimes — just shut out all of that conflict and confusion and bring it to a hug. I do that because I was hugged all of my life growing up.”
Sevyn Jones, who owns Skin Bar VII, one of the establishments in the Avenue of Fashion, spoke of Morrison’s hugs to the Free Press. “Her hugs are infectious,” Jones said. “And if there is a problem, once that hug goes down, the problem is solved because the hug came from the Queen Mother.” Jones, who has been instrumental in pushing for the activation of the Avenue of Fashion, also sees Morrison as a mentor, “I feel that a lot of time people use the word ‘mentor’ loosely, but the Queen Mother has demonstrated a long-term drive and spirit, along with a reality that hard work is required and that there are no shortcuts.”
Morrison's late father, Theodore, remains an important part of the family business. His daughter Claudia Helton told the Free Press, “We talk about dad every day. He taught us that there is nothing too good for the customer and that you always give the customer the ultimate respect, and that concept has carried us through all different lines of life that we have been in.” Helton added, “We keep all of our ancestors very close to us and we have shared what we have learned, which has helped to create a spirit of community in the Avenue of Fashion.”
Rhonda Morrison has taken the lessons she learned from her father and is carrying the family legacy forward. She is the embodiment of the Avenue of Fashion's mission to work together for success and her hugs have become legendary for bringing positivity and peace to the community. The House of Morrison carries on Theodore Morrison's teachings of respect and hard work, and it is through these values that a spirit of community has developed in the Avenue of Fashion.
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