The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
This year’s Midwest Archiving Conference Annual Meeting is pleased to host the reception at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the second largest African American Museum in the country! The museum is a leading institution dedicated to the preservation of the African American experience, featuring the world’s largest permanent exhibit on African American history and culture. Under the leadership of Juanita Moore, the museum has experienced a resurgence post 2011 bankruptcy; now drawing three times the number of attendees, hosting premiere events, and the continuation of its groundbreaking programming such as “Say It Loud : Art , History, Rebellion,” a commemoration of the 1967 rebellion; and “Oh You Fancy!” – an exclusive celebration of African Americans’ impact on the hair and fashion industry, examining how these contributions have generated political and social consciousness and global trendsetting. Since 2016, the Wright Museum has hosted the African World Festival, drawing crowds of 200,000 for a three-day weekend celebrating the African diaspora.
A centerpiece to Detroit’s black culture, the museum features a 37-foot terrazzo tile work, the “Ring of Genealogy,” by Detroit’s renowned fresco artist, Hubert Massey. Located on the floor of the Ford Freedom Rotunda, the “Ring of Genealogy” depicts the struggles of African Americans in the United States. Each figure is symbolic of an experience, from slavery to present day violence, the hunger for knowledge, the importance of spirituality and the upward mobility of African Americans. Bronze nameplates of prominent African Americans in history, surround the piece, and each year new names are added during the Ford Freedom Awards. In 2016, the museum unveiled the "United We Stand" sculpture by Kresge Eminent Artist Charles McGee – a 20-by-20-foot work permanently installed at the museum's front entrance on Warren Avenue. The museum is a foundation for African American contributions in art, music, and culture.
Founded in 1965 as the International Afro-American Museum, by Dr. Wright and 30 community members, the museum preserves over 35,000 artifacts and archival materials and is home to the Blanche Coggin Underground Railroad Collection, Harriet Tubman Museum Collection, Coleman A. Young Collection, the Sheffield Collection - a repository of documents of the labor movement in Detroit, and other collections representing African American history.
At the Midwest Archives Conference, we are excited to have access to the Wright’s exhibitions:
And Still We Rise : Our Journey Through African American Culture
This long-term exhibition serves as the central experience of the museum. The 22,000 square-foot exhibition space contains more than 20 galleries that allow patrons to travel over time and across geographic boundaries. The journey begins in Africa, the cradle of human life. Witness several ancient and early modern civilizations that evolved on the continent. Cross the Atlantic Ocean, experience the tragedy of the middle passage and encounter those who resisted the horrors of bondage, emancipated themselves and sometimes took flight by way of the Underground Railroad. Throughout this trip, the efforts of everyday men and women who built families, businesses, educational institutions, spiritual traditions, civic organizations and a legacy of freedom and justice in past and present-day Detroit are hailed. What an awesome journey!
The Music and Times: Photographs of Leni Sinclair
Leni Sinclair is a renowned visual historian, photographer, social and political activist. Beginning in the 1960s, she documented live performances of legendary American and world musicians, especially those that performed in Detroit, Michigan. Through her work she has amassed an amazing collection of images that reflect the superb talent and artistry found in live musical performances.
Featured are photographs of extraordinary musicians such as Bob Marley, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and many more, alongside a video presentation encompassing her photo documentation of the wider social and political milieu.
Inspiring Minds: African Americans in Science and Technology
Inspiring Minds: African Americans in Science and Technology is a comprehensive, high-tech and permanent exhibition highlighting trailblazers, contemporaries and careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. African Americans have contributed to the scientific and engineering output of the United States since the 17th century, and this history is brought to life through interactive computer kiosks, a touchscreen video wall, and hands-on activities and play areas teaching basic engineering concepts. Four disciplines of scientific advancement are explored: Physical Sciences, Earth Sciences, Life Sciences, and Technology & Engineering. Within these, Inspiring Minds introduces individuals from across the spectrum of fields, levels of renown, and from times past and present, with particular focuses on African American women in science, black aviators, black inventors, medical ethics, and key historical figures such as George Washington Carver.
A is for Africa
Featured are photographs of extraordinary musicians such as Bob Marley, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and many more, alongside a video presentation encompassing her photo documentation of the wider social and political milieu.
Stories in the Stained Glass : The Art of Samuel Hodge
The works of art included in this long-term installation focus on three areas of African American culture and history. The Musicians celebrates everyday people who have exercised their right to interpret the world as they see it through songs and instruments. Dance and Dancers, on the other hand, honors those artists who use their bodies as the medium to express non-verbal emotions, themes and ideas. And Freedom Advocates is dedicated to notable African Americans who fought and died to ensure dignity and freedom for themselves and their people. Vivid, colorful and luminescent, this exhibition provides extraordinary imagery and stories in a medium seldom used by African American artists.
Detroit Performs!
The museum is pleased to present Detroit Performs!, a photomontage dedicated to those who gained national and often international prominence in the performing arts. Although a majority of these artists moved here from other regions, especially the south, they claimed Detroit as their own, usually crediting it as the place where they honed their skills. Many of these innovators, John Lee Hooker, Tommy Flanagan and Mattie Moss Clark among them, put unique spins on existing art forms such as blues, jazz and gospel. Other performers, including Aretha Franklin, Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson and Eddie Fowlkes, created whole new genres; for example, soul and techno.
Our salute to the performing arts focuses on three areas: theater, dance and music. We highlight noted playwrights, choreographers and dancers and a trove of instrumentalists and vocalists who used their talents to bring joy, encourage dialogue and stimulate social change. We hope this installation provides you with a look at a remarkable and inspiring legacy that continues.
**Exhibit descriptions originated from thewright.org/exhibits
-LL
