How to Celebrate Black History Month in Detroit
Detroit's reputation as a our nation's industrial epicenter made it an attractive destination for freed African Americans hoping for their shots at the American dream. The city experienced a population boom in the early 1900s that would shape the future of the city. Today, African Americans comprise nearly 75 percent of the city's population. Over the last hundred years, the city has seen triumphs, such as the development of Motown Records, and tragedies like the violent race riots of 1943 and 1967. There are plenty of unique ways to celebrate Black History Month in Detroit.
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Instructions
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Take a tour of Hittsville, U.S.A., home of the world famous "Motown Sound." Originally known as Tamala Records, the name was changed to reflect Detroit's reputation as the world's "Motor City." Since its birth in 1959, Motown Records has produced some of the most enduring music in our nation's history, including classic hits from Diana Ross, the Jackson Five, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye.
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Visit the birthplace of Elijah McCoy, one of Detroit's most famous inventors. When racial discrimination stifled McCoy's dream of becoming a train conductor, he set his mind to developing technology to make trains more efficient. At the turn of the century, McCoy held more patents than any other African-American inventor.
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See the historic Shrine of the Black Madonna. Founded in 1953 as the Central Baptist Church, the Reverend Albert Cleage anointed his church as, "the only Christian nationalist place of worship in the country." The church gained notoriety for Cleage's teaching that Jesus and his family were black.
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See Detroit's Wall of Dignity. Community murals were popularized in the 1960's as a means to promote African-American arts and to stir the community into action. The Wall of Dignity was created in 1968 by nine of Detroit's African-American artists.
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Tour the McGhee family home. Orsel McGhee created a controversy in 1944 when he attempted to move his family into what was then an exclusively white neighborhood. His neighbors staged an insurrection and obtained a court order that voided the home's sale. Through the help of the N.A.A.C.P. and their attorney, Thurgood Marshall, the McGhee's took their case all the way to the United States Supreme Court and eventually won the right to own a home in the white community.
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Visit the Finney Barn. Owned by Seymour Finney, a hotel keeper who was sympathetic to the abolitionists' plight, the barn was used as a hiding place for fugitive slaves as they made their way through the Underground Railroad from the South to freedom in Canada.
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Celebrate Black History Month by seeing the world's largest permanent collection of African-American art at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History (see Resources below).
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Tips & Warnings
While the popular image of Detroit is of a city racked with poverty and crime, downtown Detroit is well policed and relatively safe. Outlying areas should be avoided after dark, but popular tourist destinations should never be a problem should you decide to celebrate Black History Month with a trip to Detroit.
