The Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit, MI
"I was committed to what I defined as "one of the most important tasks of our times,'" Dr. Wright would later remark, "ensuring that generations, especially young African Americans, are made aware of and take pride in the history of their forebears and their remarkable struggle for freedom."
Charles H. Wright, founder
I arrived at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, on a cool, blue-skied morning. The entry is a beautiful rotunda: Looking up, a 55-foot ceiling of glass, ringed by 92 flags representing African-American history; looking down, a huge tile creation, the Ring of Genealogy, noting the names of 37 notable African Americans.
There was only time that day to see the permanent exhibit, And Still We Rise. This 22,000-square-foot exhibit starts by telling the history of West Africa from where many captives were sold to slave ships. First, it tells of the continent of Africa as the cradle of civilization and talks about the many kingdoms and societies that evolved there. We’re shown the complex skills captives brought to America, as anchor makers, basket makers, cabinet makers, iron molders, gunsmiths, rice and indigo farmers, saddlers, and seamen--to name just a few.
The exhibit next gives us a powerful presentation of the Middle Passage. When I unexpectedly step onto the deck of a slave ship, I stop. Before me, lie steps down to the hold. Not a hold of row on row on row of people chained together, but bunks filled with mannequins representing captives–bunks reminding me of the German Holocaust. Murmurs surround me of Senegalese captives, scared and in pain from their chains.
Next, the exhibit explores stories of people escaping bondage, of national Emancipation, the Great Migration, and the growth of Black neighborhoods and businesses in Detroit.
When I return to Detroit, I look forward to revisiting the museum to see the permanent exhibit, “Stories in Stained Glass,” and the upcoming exhibit, “Frontline Prophet: James Baldwin.”
Where are you going this summer? What can you tell us about what you learned, and what can you recommend we visit?
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