The New York Renaissance “Harlem Rens” basketball team and all-time NBA leading scorer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will be honored for their talent, tenacity and teamwork in sports at the 14^th Annual Ford Freedom Award on May 17.

The Ford Freedom Award program includes a scholar’s lecture by Abdul-Jabbar to nearly 2,000 elementary and middle-school students from around the state, presentation of the 2012 Ford Freedom Award Scholarships and a black-tie gala at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.  

“The Ford Freedom Award has a legacy of honoring trailblazers who have changed the world through their actions,” said Ziad Ojakli, group vice president, Government and Community Relations, Ford Motor Company. “Ford is proud to recognize one of the greatest teams of all time that paved the way for many of today’s athletes, and a sports legend who demonstrated excellence not only through his play on the court but through his dedication to the education of youth.”

The 2012 Ford Freedom Award Honoree is the Harlem Rens basketball team, which was the first all-black, African American-owned pro basketball team. Known as one of the dominant basketball teams of the 1920s and ’30s, the Harlem Rens also was the first basketball team to win a world championship in 1939.

NBA hall-of-famer and newly selected U.S. Global Cultural Ambassador Abdul-Jabbar is this year’s Ford Freedom Awards Scholar. His career spanned six championships and a record six regular-season MVP awards. As an actor, coach and promoter of social justice and African American history, Abdul-Jabbar has authored a book and produced a documentary highlighting the career of the Harlem Rens, “On Shoulders of Giants.”

The Ford Freedom Awards program recognizes two recipients each year. The Ford Freedom Award Honoree is presented posthumously to a distinguished African American who dedicated his or her life to improving the African American community and the world at large through that individual’s chosen field (such as arts, humanities, religion, business, politics, sports, science or entertainment). The Ford Freedom Awards Scholar is an African American who has excelled on a national or international level in the same field as the Ford Freedom Award Honoree. The Scholar serves as a living legacy, carrying forth the ideals of the Honoree and furthering those achievements for a new generation.

“The history of African Americans in sports is a storied one,” says Juanita Moore, president and CEO, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. “But it’s easy to forget the talent, tenacity and teamwork it took for those early pioneers to demonstrate not only physical prowess, but also the courage and fortitude necessary to overcome prejudice and roadblocks to their ability to even compete. In the modern era, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has earned his place as a basketball legend, but continues to build on that legacy with his achievements as a writer, filmmaker and Global Cultural Ambassador.”

The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, in partnership with Ford Motor Company, launched the Ford Freedom Award program in 1999 to create a forum for celebrating and recognizing individuals whose achievements brought forth lasting and positive change for African Americans and the world. In addition to the evening gala, the Ford Freedom Award program includes a statewide essay contest for grades four through eight, which this year drew more than 1,900 submissions.

The Ford Freedom Award program is made possible by a grant from Ford Motor Company, and is an annual fundraiser for the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.

Additional major sponsors of the Ford Freedom Award include McDonald’s Owners of Southeast Michigan, and MGM Grand Detroit. For additional event information regarding sponsorship opportunities and tickets, call (313) 494-5800 or visit www.fordfreedomaward.com.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 166,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.

About the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

Founded in 1965 and located at 315 East Warren Avenue in Midtown Detroit’s Cultural Center, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is the world’s largest institution dedicated to the African-American experience. The Museum provides learning opportunities, exhibitions, programs and events based on collections and research that explore the diverse history and culture of African Americans and their African origins. For more information, please visit www.TheWright.org.

For media credentials or interviews

DETROIT, MI – January 18, 2012: For the third year in a row, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is calling for contestants for its 30 Days To Lose It! weight-loss challenge to be held during the month of March.

Starting today, the Museum is accepting 3 - 5 minute videos, via YouTube only, from candidates explaining why they should be selected as a weight-loss contestant. Entrants must be women in the metropolitan Detroit region who are at least 18 years old and 30 pounds overweight, and can provide medical clearance to participate in such a program. Only one submission per entrant will be accepted, and only one entrant will be considered per video submission. YouTube links should be sent to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . The deadline for submissions is Friday, February 17, at 5 pm. Up to ten contestants will be selected by a panel of experts from the WW Group, St. John Providence Health System and Henry Ford Health System. Entrants must attend 30 Days To Lose It! on Tuesday, March 6, when the contestants will be announced. Contestants will be required to participate in the following, specialized weekly regimen:

 The Voices of the Civil War is a five-year film series dedicated to celebrating and commemorating the Civil War over the course of the sesquicentennial. Each month, new episodes will cover pertinent topics that follow the monthly events and issues as they unfolded for African Americans during the Civil War.

Within these episodes there are various primary sources – letters and diaries, newspaper reports, and more - to recount various experiences of blacks during this period. We encourage your feedback and commentary through our Voices of the Civil War web blog.

The American Civil War was one of the most destructive armed conflicts that the United States has ever fought. But, how did this nation, less than one hundred years old in 1865, arrive at the point of Civil War?

In episode 1, “The Original Sin,” we travel back to the signing of the Constitution on September 17, 1787. Here we see disunion already brewing over the issue of slavery. Delegates like James Madison, George Mason, and Benjamin Franklin pontificate on the effects of building a new nation on the backs of tyranny.

Credits

Shot 1-7,9,10,12,13,16,19,20,23,24,28,29,31,34,37,38,40-43: Courtesy of the Library of Congress, [lc-uszc2-2354, LC-DIG-ds-00120, LC-DIG-ppmsca-21740, LC-USP6-2415-A, lc-uszc2-2354, LC-USZ62-2276, LC-DIG-cwpb-05635, LC-USZ62-90258, LC-DIG-cwpb-03711, LC-USZC6-45, rbpe 00103300, LC-USZ62-67819, LC-DIG-ppmsca-31705, LC-USZ62-2770, LC-USZC4-7216, LC-USZ62 – 16960, rbpe 00103300, LC-DIG-ppmsca-05453, LC-USZ62-89701, LC-USZ62-90398, LC-USZC6-48, LC-USZC4-2520, LC-USZC4-528, LC-DIG-cwpb-05635, LC-DIG-ppmsca-21740, LC-DIG-ppmsca-10874]

Shot 8: Courtesy of South Caroliniana Library, University of South Carolina, http://library.sc.edu/socar/

Shot 11,18,36: From the collections of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, (Schneider Collection)

Shot 15,30,39: Courtesy National Archives, [ARC Identifier 1656604; ARC Identifier 1667751, ARC Identifier 301682]  

Shot 21: White House Historical Association (White House Collection)

Shot 22: Florida Center for Instructional Technology, http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/

Shot 25: Courtesy of the Virginia Historical Society, http://www.vahistorical.org/

Shot 32,35: Courtesy of the Architect of the Capitol

Shot 33: © Courtesy of the Board of Regents of Gunston Hall

DETROIT, MI – January 5, 2012: The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History presents the 12^th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Breakfast on Monday, January 16, 2012 beginning at 8 am. The breakfast sets the stage for a full day of activities honoring Dr. King and his legacy at the Museum, located at 315 East Warren Avenue in Midtown Detroit’s Cultural Center, on its most popular day of the year.

Hosted by the Women’s Committee of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the breakfast, an annual fundraiser for the Museum and its educational programming, features keynote speaker Rev. Dr. Georgia Hill of Plymouth United Church of Christ, and performances by singer Armond and the Institute of Music and Dance at Marygrove College. Tickets for the breakfast are $35 and can be purchased online at www.brownpapertickets.com, by calling (800) 838-3006, or at the Museum during normal business hours. Discounted group tickets are available for $30 each when purchased in groups of 10; please call or visit the Museum for group discounts. Doors open at 7 am and breakfast will be served promptly at 8 am in the Museum’s Ford Freedom Rotunda. Valet parking will not be available.

The Wright Museum opens to the public at 9 am with a full day of activities on its busiest day of the year, during which it remains open until 7 pm. The day’s schedule includes:

DETROIT, MI – May 9, 2011: Tunisia.  Egypt.  Libya.  On the anniversary of the birthday of Malcolm X and in recognition of African Liberation Day, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in partnership with the Arab American National Museum presents “Uprising: African Liberation in the 21^st Century” Thursday May 19 at 6:30 pm.  This reception and panel discussion will take place at the Charles H. Wright Museum, located at 315 East Warren Avenue in Midtown Detroit’s Cultural Center.

"Uprising: African Liberation in the 21st Century" will examine how regime change in North Africa is impacting the political conversation in sub-Saharan Africa, and what the "Arab Spring" means to the rest of the continent.  The event features discussion by Dr. Wesley Williams of Michigan State University, Mark Fantcher of ACLU Michigan and the National Council of Black Lawyers, and will be moderated by Ismael Ahmed of University of Michigan-Dearborn and co-founder of ACCESS.

This event is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be served.  For more information, please call (313) 494-5800 or visit the event page online at http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/199-uprising-african-liberation-in-the-21st-century-panel-discussion.

Ten northern African nations are also considered to be Arab nations.  African-Arab nations share these unifying factors: membership in the League of Arab States, otherwise know as the Arab League; having Arabic as the official language of government and commerce (Somalia is an exception); and the presence of Arabic culture, history and traditions in these nations.  African nations that are also part of the Arab World are Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia, and Comoros Islands.

The Conference of Independent African States held on April 15, 1958 in Ghana was the first pan-African conference held on African soil, and called for the founding of African Freedom Day, to “mark each year the onward progress of the liberation movement, and to symbolize the determination of the People of Africa to free themselves from foreign domination and exploitation.”  Five years later, on May 25, 1963, leaders of thirty-two independent African States met to form the Organization of African Unity (OAU).  At this meeting, the date of Africa Freedom Day was changed from April 15 to May 25, and Africa Freedom Day was declared African Liberation Day (ALD).

The Arab American National Museum documents, preserves, celebrates and educates the public on the history, life, culture and contributions of Arab Americans.  It serves as a resource to enhance knowledge and understanding about Arab Americans and their presence in this country.  The Arab American National Museum is a project of ACCESS, a Dearborn, Michigan-based nonprofit human services and cultural organization, and is a proud Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.  Learn more at www.arabamericanmuseum.org and www.accesscommunity.org.

Founded in 1965 and located at 315 East Warren Avenue in Midtown Detroit’s Cultural Center, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is the world's largest institution dedicated to the African American experience.  For more information, please visit www.chwmuseum.org.

At the Wright Museum partnerships are essential in achieving our greater goals of exploring our history, celebrating the arts and serving the community.  We constantly seek out and are engaged in numerous partnerships.  In May we have two wonderful collaborations, one in its 13th year and the other an initial offering.

Always the premier annual event for the Charles H. Wright Museum, this year's Ford Freedom Award Gala taking place May 17 is truly special.  On this date we celebrate the anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, one of the most impactful legal decisions in American history, and the life journey of this year's Ford Freedom Award Scholar, Judge Damon J. Keith.  Honoring Judge Keith is a real privilege for me and the museum.  Amidst all the awards Judge Keith has and continues to receive, each of which he truly deserves, to be recognized as a Ford Freedom Award Scholar places him in the company of the likes of Dorothy Height, Nelson Mandela and other outstanding individuals who've served as living legacies of our highest ideals.

Legacies abound in Detroit, including the Heidelberg Project.  The Wright Museum is pleased to partner with the Heidelberg Project to present its 25^th anniversary retrospective exhibit.  On May 19^th, we invite you to the artist’s reception, featuring a candid discussion with Heidelberg Project creator, Tyree Guyton and its Executive Director, Jenenne Whitfield.  Guyton and Whitfield will explain how the two have managed to keep the Heidelberg vision fresh and growing, amidst obstacles, demolitions and a shoestring budget.  Oliver Ragsdale, Jr., President of the Virgil H. Carr Cultural Arts Center will moderate the discussion.

Whether with Ford Motor Company or the Heidelberg Project, in times like these, the desire to broaden our reach makes partnerships pivotal.  And when the exponential impact created through collaboration helps us achieve our goals, we come to realize that, in the end, we all exist to serve one another.

Joining city halls, community centers and houses of worship in 300 communities around the country, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is observing the 10th annual Black Marriage Day this year on Friday, March 25 and Saturday, March 26.  During those two days, couples can renew their vows, get valuable insight into strengthening their union, compete against other couples for prizes and dine and dance the night away at the museum, located at 315 East Warren Avenue in Midtown Detroit.

Black Marriage Day, typically celebrated the last weekend in March, was launched in 2002 by Nisa Muhammad, founder of the Wedded Bliss Foundation.  This national initiative encourages African Americans to embrace an institution that has long been on the decline within this community by highlighting the deep-rooted historical role marriage has played among African Americans, as well as the reality that there are still black men and women who, day in and day out, meet, fall in love, get married and stay together.  Consider President Barack Obama and the first lady, Michelle, who have become icons of a contemporary, enduring black married couple.

Tickets to Black Marriage Day are $45 per couple to attend all weekend activities including a strolling reception hosted by the Marriage Resource Center of Wayne County on Saturday, March 26.  Tickets are $30 for couples who attend all activities except the strolling reception, and $25 for couples for just the strolling reception.  Tickets for couples include entry into a special photo/essay contest on Friday, March 25.  For singles who want to get married one day, tickets are $20 per person for a day pass that does not include the strolling reception.  Tickets are available by phone at (800) 838-3006 or online at www.brownpapertickets.com.

Sponsors of Black Marriage Day at the Charles H. Wright Museum include MGM Grand Detroit, Andiamo Restaurant Group, the Marriage Resource Center of Wayne County, Esperanza Communications, Eco-Posh Events, B.L.A.C. Detroit magazine, Meijer, Epoch Catering and Oakland Mall.  The following are the scheduled events for the Black Marriage Day weekend:

FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2011 from 6 – 9 pm
• Welcome by Dr. Kenya Ayers, creator/ host “Prescriptions for Hope” radio program, educator and motivational speaker
• Keynote Address by Jamil Muhammad, director of programs, Wedded Bliss Foundation, featured on CNN's Black in America 2
• Reception & Black Marriage Day photography/essay contest; categories include:
Most Enduring – For a couple married at least 10 years and still passionate about one another.
Overcomers – For a couple that has faced, and beat, great hardship to stay together.
Against The Odds – For a couple currently facing hardship yet staying together in spite of it all.
Most Bountiful – For a couple that, together, has four (4) or more children (not to include blended marriages).
Most Romantic Proposal – For an officially engaged couple (marriage date must be set, and location booked).
Couple of the Year – Taking into account such factors as how this couple met, how long they have been married, what they have overcome to be together, their enduring passion and the well-being/success of their children.

The Black Marriage Day registration and contest entry form can be downloaded from this link: http://chwmuseum.org/images/stories/pdf/BMD-registration-form.pdf. The form should be filled out and brought to the opening reception on March 25 if couples want to participate in the contest. Forms will also be available at the museum up to and on that Friday.  Winning couples will receive dinner and an overnight hotel stay and massage at MGM Grand Detroit’s IMMERSE spa; or dinner for two at Andiamo Detroit; or a wedding planning package; or a $500 gift card to Meijer; or dinner for two at Forte Restaurant in Birmingham; retail gift cards or other prizes.

SATURDAY MARCH 26 from 12 – 8 pm
• Welcome by Dr. Kenya Ayers, creator/ host “Prescriptions for Hope” radio program, educator and motivational speaker
• Screening of the documentary, “Happily Ever After:  A Positive Image of Black Marriage,” followed by a facilitated discussion. Videos will be on sale afterward in the museum store for $19.99

Breakout Sessions, Classrooms
A Sessions, 2 - 2:50 pm
• How To Know if You’ve Found “The One”  - For dating couples considering marriage (Kim Brooks, author, and president, Driven Enterprises LLC )
• Building a Beautiful Wife (C. Ptolemy Pruden, author, “Building A Beautiful Wife”)
• Enhancing your Marriage through Conversation (Annie Ayers, retired Detroit Public School principal)
B Sessions, 3 - 3:50 pm
• Man as Priest, Provider, Protector (Aaron Hopson, author and executive director, Gems from Joy)
• Is Your Financial Foundation Firm? (Glinda Bridgforth, owner, Bridgforth Financial & Associates LLC, and author, “Girl, Get Your Money Straight!” and “Girl, Get your Credit Straight!”)
• The Myths of Living Together vs. Marriage (Christina Dixon, board of directors vice chair, Marriage Resource Center of Wayne County)

5 - 8 pm: Strolling Reception & Finale hosted by the Marriage Resource Center of Wayne County, including:
• Vow renewal ceremony
• Ballroom dancing
• Awards – Announce winners of photo/essay contest
• Closing dance – All married couples will start on the dance floor together and, periodically being asked to peel off in groups of those married from the least amount of time to those married the longest, will leave the floor until the longest-married couples are the last on the floor.

Founded in 1965 and located at 315 E. Warren Avenue in Detroit’s Cultural Center, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is the world's largest institution dedicated to the African American experience.  For more information, please visit www.chwmuseum.org.

For more information including media inquiries, please contact Angela G. King at (313) 494-5817 or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Charles H. Wright Museum & the jess Care moore foundation present Black Women Rock!, a live music concert and master class to take place the weekend of March 18 and 19. Both events will take place at the museum, located at 315 East Warren Avenue in Midtown Detroit.

In 2005, renowned poet, writer and performer jessica Care moore produced Black Women Rock! A Tribute to Rock Icon Betty Davis in conjunction with The National Black Arts Festival to showcase young, independent women artists of color who made a living as composers, guitarists, vocalists, producers and arts educators in the genre of Rock and Roll.  These contemporary artists defy the stereotype of what a rock and roll artist looks and sounds like, and are the spiritual descendents of Betty Davis, Tina Turner, Nona Hendrix, Patti Labelle Maxanne, and Janis Joplin.  These trailblazing pioneers have spent their careers fighting biases and breaking down barriers of image, politics and sexuality in the music industry.  In honor of Women’s History Month, Black Women Rock! debuted in Detroit in March 2010 at the Charles H. Wright Museum to a standing room-only audience.

The Black Women Rock! concert returns to the Wright Museum’s GM Theater Friday, March 18 at 7 pm, and features performances by Joi, Imani Uzuri, Navasha Daya (formerly of Fertile Ground fame), Res, jessica Care moore, Steffanie Christi'an, Tarrey Torae, Legendary DJ Stacey "Hotwaxx" Hale, as well as the Black Women Rock Orchestra Players: Kat Dyson (Prince, Cyndi Lauper), Emily Rogers, Lafrae Sci, Norma Jean Bell, Aisha Ellis, Cecelia Sharpe, Leslie Dishazer Adams, Ashley Nelson, and Black Women Rock guest vocalists Blue Raspberry (Wu-tang),  and Flint native, Alicia Renee "Blue Eyes.”  Tickets are $10 for museum members and students, and $15 for non-members in advance.  Tickets can be purchased by phone at (800)-838-3006, or online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/159787.  A portion of proceeds helps to benefit the JCM Foundation Youth Poetry Forensics Team in Detroit.  Further event information can be found on the museum’s event page at http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/158-black-women-rock-concert.

The free accompanying workshop and They Say I'm Different Master Class takes place Saturday March 19 from 1 – 3 pm after a belly-dancing warm up and introduction at noon courtesy of House of Bassett.  Hosted by Piper Carter, this insightful postlude to the Black Women Rock! concert will feature inspiring commentary and dialogue with the performers and other women artists who’ve made names for themselves and their communities despite institutional and industry resistance.  This event is free and open to the public, and more information can be found on the museum’s event page at http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/159-black-women-rock-panel-discussion.

A Black Women Rock! art exhibition, “The Holy Trinity,” curated by Ingrid LaFleur will be featured in the rotunda of the museum both days.  Featured artists include Jocelyn Rainey, Sabrina Nelson, jessica Care moore and Jo’burg based, Ayana V Jackson.

Five-time Night at the Apollo champion jessica Care moore is the author of The Words Don't Fit in My Mouth, The Alphabet Verses The Ghetto, God is Not an American, and a forthcoming memoir, Love is Not The Enemy. She has performed her poems and solo theater shows all over the United States, in South Africa, and across Europe.

Founded in 1965 and located in Detroit’s Cultural Center, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is the world's largest institution dedicated to the African American experience.  For more information, please visit http://www.chwmuseum.org.

Let the competition begin!  Contestants for the second annual 30 Days To Lose It! weight-loss challenge being hosted by the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American will be announced on Tuesday, March 1. The evening’s schedule, which includes free health screenings, a Jazzercise workout and other activities, begins at 6 pm at the museum, located at 315 East Warren Avenue in Detroit. PLEASE NOTE: contest submissions will not be accepted that evening.

The museum accepted submissions in January and February from women ages 18 and over and 30 pounds or more overweight who explained in 3 - 5 minute videos via YouTube why they should be selected as a weight-loss candidate. The panel of experts that was assembled to review these submissions and select the contestants included:

• Dr. Yvonne Anthony, Director, Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion

• Florine Mark, President and CEO, The WW Group

• Dr. Cynthia Taueg, Vice President of Community Health, St. John Health System

• Dr. Kimberlydawn Wisdom, Vice President, Community Health, Education and Wellness, Henry Ford Institute Health System

The finalists must attend 30 Days To Lose It! on March 1st to finalize their participation. Selected contestants will then begin a specialized, weekly regimen with Range of Motion Fitness, Weight Watchers, Body By Claudia and Energetic Soul.

The winner of the month-long challenge will receive a 1-year membership at Range of Motion Fitness including online fitness and nutrition tracking programs; a 12-week pass to a local Weight Watchers meeting; free attendance to a 2nd Saturday Wellness Workshop by Dr. Velonda Thompson of Be-Fit Inc.; Jafra beauty products; a makeover by Let’s Get Gorgeous, the image consulting firm headed by former Biggest Loser Carla Triplett; the Workout & Worship book and DVD by Lazet Michaels Boatman, CEO of Life Center Private Fitness Facility; and a $25 gift certificate to the Charles H. Wright Museum store.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, four out of five African American women are overweight.  In response to this health crisis, the Charles H. Wright Museum brought back its popular 30 Days To Lose It! program, originally inspired by the hit TV show, “The Biggest Loser,” as a year-long fitness and health drive for all women in September 2010.  Now endorsed by the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness, Health and Sports, ongoing fitness and health sessions take place every Tuesday evening at the museum.

30 Days To Lose It! is free for museum members and $5 for non-members per session.  Non-members who attend 8 consecutive sessions receive a complimentary museum membership, making their next 12 months free.  Attendees should enter the museum through the main (Warren Avenue) entrance.  Well-lit parking is free on Warren Avenue after 6 pm, and on Brush Street.  Sponsors of 30 Days To Lose It! include Weight Watchers, the Henry Ford Institute on Multicultural Health, Range of Motion Fitness, FitnessWorks, Cabot Creamery Cooperative and The City of Detroit Department of Health & Wellness Promotion.

Founded in 1965 and located in Detroit’s Cultural Center, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is the world's largest institution dedicated to the African American experience.  For more information, please visit http://www.chwmuseum.org.

30 Days To Lose It! Schedule of Events

Tentative schedule; dates and details subject to change.  For up-to-date information, please call (313) 494-5817 or visit http://www.chwmuseum.org.

MARCH 2011 – The Challenge!
Focus: Nutrition
Weekly workout @ 7:30 pm:  Jazzercise (Sondra Jackson, fitness director, Northwest Activity Center)
Free Screening:  Tuesday, March 1, 6 - 7:30 pm
Seminar(s):  March 8, Eating Healthy on the Run (Dr. Velonda Thompson, PhD, president, Be-Fit Inc.); March 15, Beautiful, from the Inside Out (Carla Triplett and Anquinette Mosley, partners, Let’s Get Gorgeous); March 22, Beauty Secrets (Steven Thomas, founder, Amethyst International)
Special:  Announce contestants for the second annual 30 Days To Lose It! weight-loss challenge, Tuesday, March 1, 6:30 p.m.; Weekly message therapy (Carrie Hendricks, Loving Hands Massages; Roderick Wright, Roderick’s Therapeutic Massage, Jonathan Burt, Burt & Company Massage Therapy) $

As part of its programming for Black History Month, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History hosts two separate poetry performances that honor the great literary traditions of African American writers.  Both events will take place at the museum, located at 315 East Warren Avenue in Detroit’s Midtown, and are made possible by the generous support of PNC Bank.

“PNC demonstrates its commitment to diversity through a wide variety of initiatives and programs, including serving as presenting sponsor for these important performances,” said PNC Regional President for Southeast Michigan Ric DeVore.  “This program offers a rare opportunity to celebrate the genius of contemporary and legendary African-American poets.”

On Valentine’s Day, Monday February 14 at 7:30 pm, Love and Revolution - a Celebration of the Culture and People We Adore features a duet performance by Ras Baraka and jessica Care moore.  The son of revered poet-activists Amina and Imamu Amiri Baraka, Ras Baraka inherited their proud tradition of artistic excellence and community activism. The Newark, New Jersey-based poet, author, community activist, father and educator is the author of Black Girls Learn Love Hard and also serves as a councilman of his hometown.  Five-time Night at the Apollo champion jessica Care moore is the author of The Words Don't Fit in My Mouth, The Alphabet Verses The Ghetto, God is Not an American, and a forthcoming book of essays, Literary Apartheid.  She has performed her poems and solo theater shows all over the United States, in South Africa, and across Europe.  Special musical guests will include Sax Appeal, cellist Cecelia Sharpe and Stevie Soul.  A book signing will follow the performances.  Tickets for this event are $10 / $7 for museum members, include dessert and a drink, and can be purchased online at www.brownpapertickets.com or by phone at 800-838-3006.  For more information please visit http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/134-love-and-revolution-a-valentines-poetry-performance-

On Sunday February 20 at 4 pm, We Remember You: An Afternoon in the Company of Poetry Masters features Dr. Haki R. Madhubuti and Dr. Sonia Sanchez as they celebrate the voices and verses of Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Etheridge Knight, Gwendolyn Brooks, Lucille Clifton, Audre Lorde, Zora Neal Hurston and Dudley Randall.  Dr. Haki Madhubuti is a master poet, essayist, editor, publisher and founder of Third World Press.  A native Detroiter, Dr. Madhubuti has authored 40 titles and, along with seminal forces in literature like Sonia Sanchez and Amiri Baraka, helped launch the Black Literary Arts Movement.  He is the founder of the Creative Writing concentration program at Chicago State University and its former chair and distinguished professor before his retirement in 2010.  Sonia Sanchez is a poet, activist, mother, and scholar whose work speaks of issues ranging from peace to women's liberation to racial justice.  A lifetime activist for social change, Sonia participated in the Black Arts Movement and the Black Arts Repertoire Theater, helped found the first Black studies program in the United States, and has taught many free courses at community venues and prisons.  For her outstanding work, Sonia has received both the Robert Frost Medal for distinguished lifetime service to American poetry and the Langston Hughes Poetry Award.  This event is free and open to the public. For more information please visit http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/136-we-remember-you-an-afternoon-of-poetry-from-haki-madhubuti-a-sonia-sanchez

Founded in 1965 and located in Detroit’s Cultural Center, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is the world's largest institution dedicated to the African American experience.  For more information, please visit http://www.chwmuseum.org.

As part of its programming for Black History Month, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is hosting a film series this February that takes place every Wednesday evening at 6:30 pm.  All events will take place at the museum, located at 315 East Warren Avenue in Detroit’s Midtown.

The films include the Detroit premiere of Night Catches Us starring Anthony Mackie and Kerry Washington, the documentaries Me Facing Life: Cyntoia’s Story and This is My Africa, and comedian Chris Rock’s Good Hair. The film series is made possible in part by the generous support of Comcast; all screenings are free and will include an associated panel discussion.  “Comcast is pleased to unite with the museum to share the richness of the African American culture with our community at large” said Marybeth Halprin, Vice President of Community Affairs and Public Relations.

Night Catches Us

February 9^th is the Detroit premiere of this much-anticipated independent film.  Marcus (Anthony Mackie) was born and raised in Philadelphia, but hasn't been there for years when he comes back in 1976 to attend the funeral of his father, a local minister.  As Marcus visits his old neighborhood, he has to deal with strained relationships in his family and the distrust of old friends convinced he betrayed a close friend; he also spends time with Patricia (Kerry Washington), a fellow activist he used to love who was also married to the man Marcus is said to have betrayed.  Featuring an original score by the Roots, Night Catches Us received its world premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, has been nominated for 3 NAACP Image Awards and was directed by Tanya Hamilton.  This film is being presented in partnership with the Detroit Branch NAACP and the Detroit Film Think Tank. http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/122-night-catches-us-film-screening

Me Facing Life: Cyntoia’s Story

A February 16^th presentation of the Community Cinema 2010/2011 film series in partnership with Detroit Public Television, Me Facing Life: Cyntoia’s Story follows the sad and startling story of Cyntoia Brown who is serving a life sentence for murder at the age of 16.  The filmmaker spent nearly six years exploring her life and familial relationships in order to answer a very basic question… why?  This documentary pushes aside assumptions about what we think about violence in her maternal line and a predestined childhood filled with bad decisions.  Me Facing Life: Cyntoia’s Story is presented in partnership with Alternatives for Girls and the Wolverine Bar Association. http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/130-me-facing-life-cyntoias-story-film-screening

This is My Africa

February 23^rd features an award-winning documentary directed and produced by Zina Saro-Wiwa that’s a journey into an Africa many do not know about. Created to reveal a more personal vision of the continent by weaving together the personal memories, tastes and experiences of 21 Africans and Africaphiles, This Is My Africa has been described as a 50-minute crash course in African culture.  A question and answer session with the director will follow the screening.  Presented in partnership with the Nsoroma Institute and Aisha Shule. http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/131-this-is-my-africa-film-screening

Good Hair

On March 2^nd, Chris Rock and filmmaker Jeff Stilson examine black America's obsession with its hair as they visit the Bronner Brothers International Hair Show; interview African American celebrities and icons including Maya Angelou, the Rev. Al Sharpton, Nia Long, Raven Symone, Ice-T, and Paul Mooney about their hair; research the dangers of many common hair-straightening treatments; reveal the surprising expense of regular hair "relaxing" and weaves; and ponder what the pursuit of straight hair says about African American cultural identity. Good Hair received its world premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, and is presented in partnership with the Shrine of the Black Madonna. http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/123-good-hair-film-screening

Founded in 1965 and located in Detroit’s Cultural Center, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is the world's largest institution dedicated to the African American experience.  For more information, please visit http://www.chwmuseum.org.

It's with warm hearts, if not warm weather, that the Charles H. Wright Museum staff welcomes you to celebrate Black History Month with us. We often bemoan the fact that our celebration is in the coldest and shortest month of the year.  However, the February celebration of African American History began in 1926 when founder, Carter G. Woodson, sent out a press release announcing Negro History Week. He selected February to encompass the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. At the time, those two dates were traditionally celebrated by Black people.

Carter G. Woodson, who earned his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1912, understood the power and importance of history.  Even before announcing a special week of celebration for African American history, Dr. Woodson established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (1915), the Negro History Journal (1916) and the Associated Publishers (1922) to insure ongoing programs, scholarship, and publications.  Woodson believed that knowledge of the many accomplishments of African Americans would improve race relations, dispel negative stereotypes and most importantly “inspire us to greater achievements.”

Dr Woodson, born December 19, 1875 and died April 3, 1950, spent his life working to educate all people about the vast contributions made by Black people not just in the United States, but throughout history.  I think that Dr Woodson would be proud of the strides made in the study and presentation of African American history, and pleased with the impact of his life’s work.  He would look with pride at the museums, the African American Studies Departments on college campuses, millions of publications, films, television shows, art, websites, thousands of scholars and immensity of African American scholarship and urge us to keep working.  He would remind us that America continues to struggle with the legacy and impact of race, and there is still a great need and opportunity for all people to draw inspiration and guidance from this history.

So, it is February, only 28 short days, but time enough to begin the journey. We're excited about an electric programming lineup, and know our upcoming events will pull you away from your hearth and home to brave the cold.

Our film series features free screenings every Wednesday, including the Detroit premiere of Night Catches Us starring Anthony Mackie and Kerry Washington.  A celebration of African American literary giants spans two events: Love & Revolution, featuring a duet performance by Ras Baraka and jessica Care moore on February 14th, and We Remember You, featuring readings by Dr. Haki R. Madhubuti and Dr. Sonia Sanchez on February 20th.

We then warm things up than with a heaping helping of soulful blues and African dance.  February 19th hosts Saturday In Blue, featuring performances by Memphis' Queen of Beale Street, Ms. Ruby Wilson, and Detroit's own diva in blue, Thornetta Davis.  Friday night, February 25th, we host traditional West African drumming and dance ensemble Farafina Kan.  This Washington, D.C.-based performing arts company will put an exclamation point on an outstanding month of programming.  These are just a few of the exciting events taking place, so please visit our calendar.

Visit the Wright Museum this Black History Month - whether a first-timer or old friend, February is a great time to Rejoice, Relive and Reconnect!

Coming on the heels of another successful Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History has released its programming schedule for Black History Month. Typically the museum’s busiest month of the year, this February’s schedule includes a film series; music, poetry and traditional African drumming and dance performances; and workshops and panel discussions.  A detailed list of times, dates and descriptions is attached.  All events will take place at the museum, located at 315 East Warren Avenue in Detroit’s Midtown.

Says new museum Director of Education, Malika Pryor, “We’re excited to host a variety of programs that will appeal to many different audiences and age groups, from families and elders to couples looking for a romantic night out.  February’s events are a genuine cross-section of the rich diversity of African American history and culture that is the museum’s mission to advance and explore.“

A special Black History Month Film Series sponsored by Comcast takes place each Wednesday of the month at 6:30 pm.  The films include comedian Chris Rock’s Good Hair; the Detroit premiere of Night Catches Us starring Anthony Mackie and Kerry Washington; the documentary Me Facing Life: Cyntoia’s Story in partnership with Detroit Public Television; and This is My Africa, described as a 50-minute crash course in the diversity of African culture.  All film screenings are free and will include an associated panel discussion.

Performances for Black History Month include Grammy nominated musical artist Eric Roberson performing to benefit the Howard University Alumni Club of Detroit Scholarship Fund; the Freedom 2011 Jazz Concert in partnership with Detroit Jazz Fest; Love and Revolution, a poetry duet by Ras Baraka and jessica Care moore to celebrate Valentine’s Day; Saturday in Blue: a Tribute to Blues Masters Billie, Bessie & Ida featuring Detroit’s own Thornetta Davis and Memphis’ Queen of Beale Street, Ruby Wilson; We Remember You, with world-renowned poets Dr. Haki R. Madhubuti and Dr. Sonia Sanchez honoring the works of famous African American literary giants; and from Washington, D.C., Farafina Kan, a traditional African drumming and dance ensemble that will be sure to bring the house down in the museum’s GM Theater.

A variety of workshops and educational programs are also scheduled, including a focus on heart health in partnership with the American Heart Association for the weekly health and fitness program 30 Days To Lose It!, ongoing Hustle for History dance lessons, a hands-on art workshop and evening lecture with the exhibiting artists of the museum’s exhibition, “Art of the Masters: A Survey of African American Images 1980 – 2000,” and a youth short film festival to cap the Just Like Me & Oscar Micheaux film production program.  Over the course of this project, local teens worked steadily on their own films, and will be screening them publicly.

In addition to these exciting events, the museum is offering special discounts on memberships during the month of February: individual memberships for $25, and family memberships for $50.  Memberships are good for a full year and allow for free admission to the museum’s exhibitions, members’ only previews, and discounts on special events and in the museum store.  Information on memberships is available at the museum and on the museum’s website.

Founded in 1965 and located in Detroit’s Cultural Center, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is the world's largest institution dedicated to the African American experience.  For more information, please visit http://www.chwmuseum.org.

# # #

Events at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

Open Every Day of Black History Month

February 2011

30 Days To Lose It! Screening, Seminar & Workout (recurring weekly - $)

Tuesday 2/1 @ 6 pm

This year-long fitness and health drive aims to help women adopt healthy lifestyles for the long haul.  February's theme of "Living to the Beat (of Your Heart)" will focus on heart health.  Tuesday 2/1 will feature a health screening at 6 pm (registration required); Matters of the Heart seminar in partnership with the American Heart Association featuring Janine Krolikowski, heart attack survivor and national Go Red For Women spokesperson, Dr. Rasha Bazari, cardiologist, the Ministrelli Women's Heart Center, Beaumont Hospital, and Fox 2 Morning News anchor Anqunette Jamison as moderator; weekly Hustle for Health workout with Thomasenia Johnson of Two Left Feet @ 7:30; and free hand treatments by Beverly Cotton, Jafra Cosmetics.  Free for members, $5 for non-members. Purchase 8 sessions and receive a complimentary museum membership, making your next 12 months FREE! For more information please call (313) 494-5817 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it @ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/117-30-days-to-lose-it-screening-seminar-a-workout

Good Hair (film screening)

Wednesday 2/2 @ 6:30 pm

Chris Rock and filmmaker Jeff Stilson examine black America's obsession with its hair as they visit the Bronner Brothers International Hair Show; interview African American celebrities and icons including Maya Angelou, the Rev. Al Sharpton, Nia Long, Raven Symone, Ice-T, and Paul Mooney about their hair; research the dangers of many common hair-straightening treatments; reveal the surprising expense of regular hair "relaxing" and weaves; and ponder what the pursuit of straight hair says about African American cultural identity. Good Hair received its world premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.  Presented in partnership with the Shrine of the Black Madonna.  A panel discussion will follow the screening.  This event is FREE and open to the public.  The Black History Month film series is sponsored by Comcast.  http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/123-good-hair-film-screening

Artist Reception for Gale Fulton Ross

Thursday 2/3 @ 6 pm

Experience the museum's newest exhibition and meet the artist!  In Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise: An Artist’s Journey, Florida-based Gale Fulton Ross utilizes a multifaceted approach to describe her journey from confusion and despair to self-forgiveness, enlightenment, and artistic freedom. Her first-person visual narrative is loosely based on Dante’s Divine Comedy, an epic poem written in the 12th century.  Like the protagonist in Dante’s poem, trusted historical luminaries, Aunt Jemima and Sojourner Truth, guide Ross through the inferno of Hell, the misery of Purgatory, and the ecstasy of Paradise.  This event is FREE and open to the public.  Light refreshments will be served.  http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/139-artist-reception-for-gale-fulton-ross-a-hell-purgatory-and-paradise-an-artists-journey

Art of the Masters Workshop

Saturday 2/5 @ 11 am

Experience the exhibit, "Art of the Masters: A Survey of African American Images, 1980 - 2000," with teaching artists Jide Aje and Carole Morisseau.  This workshop will focus on Adrinka symbols and flags, with collage, mixed media and fibers.  Free with museum admission.  http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/137-art-of-the-masters-workshop

An Evening with Eric Roberson & Friends ($)

Saturday 2/5 @ 8 pm

Grammy nominated musical artist and Howard University graduate Eric Roberson performs at the Charles H. Wright Museum to benefit the Howard University Alumni Club of Detroit Scholarship Fund.  Hosted by Howard University grad Piper Carter.  Tickets are $35 in advance via eventbrite.com and $40 at the door. For more information call the museum at (313) 494-5800 or the Howard University Detroit Alum line at (248) 910-3027.  http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/126-an-evening-with-eric-roberson-a-friends

Hustle for History (recurring weekly - $)

Sunday 2/6 from 5 - 7 pm

Get your groove on with our weekly hustle lessons, taught by instructors "Two Left Feet" and "Shorti Smoove."  Free for Members, $7 for non-members. Purchase 5 lessons and receive a complimentary museum membership, making your next 12 months of hustle lessons FREE! http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/118-hustle-for-history

30 Days To Lose It! Seminar & Workout (recurring weekly - $)

Tuesday 2/8 @ 6 pm

February's focus is on Heart Health.  Tuesday 2/8 will feature a Heart Smart Recipes seminar @ 6 pm featuring cooking demonstrations by Chef Jesse Gales of Weight Watchers, and weekly Hustle for Health workout with Thomasenia Johnson of Two Left Feet @ 7:30.  Free for members, $5 for non-members. Purchase 8 sessions and receive a complimentary museum membership, making your next 12 months FREE!  For more information please call (313) 494-5817 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it @ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/124-30-days-to-lose-it-seminar-a-workout

Night Catches Us (film screening & Detroit premiere)

Wednesday 2/9 @ 6:30 pm

Marcus (Anthony Mackie) was born and raised in Philadelphia, but hasn't been there for years when he comes back in 1976 to attend the funeral of his father, a local minister.  As Marcus visits his old neighborhood, he has to deal with strained relationships in his family and the distrust of old friends convinced he betrayed a close friend; he also spends some time with Patricia (Kerry Washington), a fellow activist he used to love who was also married to the man Marcus is said to have betrayed.  Featuring an original score by the Roots, Night Catches Us received its world premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and was directed by Tanya Hamilton. A panel discussion will follow the screening.  This event is FREE and open to the public. The Black History Month film series is sponsored by Comcast.  http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/122-night-catches-us-film-screening

Black, Latin... Both! (lecture & discussion)

Thursday 2/10 @ 6 pm

Presented by Wayne State University in partnership with the Charles H. Wright Museum and Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation (DHDC), Miriam Jiménez Román and Juan Flores will present a discussion on their groundbreaking book, The Afro-Latin Reader: History and Culture in the United States.  This event is FREE and open to the public. http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/140-black-latin-both-lecture-a-discussion

Freedom 2011 Jazz Concert

Friday 2/11 @ 7:30 pm

In recognition of Black History Month, Detroit Jazz Fest, in partnership with the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, presents Freedom 2011: Jazz statements from the Civil Rights Movement arranged and performed by DJF Artist in Residence Jeff "Tain" Watts and featuring Wessell Anderson, Geri Allen, Nicholas Payton, Robert Hurst and Mavis SWAN Poole.  This event is FREE and open to the public, but seating is limited - please RSVP by February 10 at freedom2011.eventbrite.com. http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/125-freedom-2011-jazz-concert

Hustle for History (recurring weekly - $)

Sunday 2/13 from 5 - 7 pm

http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/119-hustle-for-history

Love and Revolution - a Celebration of the Culture and People We Adore ($)

Monday 2/14 @ 7:30 pm

The perfect romantic evening includes a duet performance by poets Ras Baraka and jessica Care moore, dessert and drink in the museum’s beautiful GM Theater & Ford Rotunda.  Tickets are $10 / $7 for members, and the authors will sign books after the performance.  Sponsored by PNC Bank.  http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/134-love-and-revolution-a-valentines-poetry-performance-

30 Days To Lose It! Workout (recurring weekly - $)

Tuesday 2/15 @ 7:30 pm

Featuring a Hustle for Health workout with Thomasenia Johnson of Two Left Feet @ 7:30.  Free for members, $5 for non-members. Purchase 8 sessions and receive a complimentary museum membership, making your next 12 months FREE! For more information please call (313) 494-5817 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it @ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/127-30-days-to-lose-it-workout

Me Facing Life: Cyntoia’s Story (film screening)

Wednesday 2/16 @ 6:30 pm

Me Facing Life: Cyntoia’s Story follows the sad and startling story of Cyntoia Brown who is serving a life sentence for murder at the age of 16.  The filmmaker spent nearly six years exploring her life and familial relationships in order to answer a very basic question… why?  This documentary pushes aside assumptions about what we think about violence in her maternal line and a predestined childhood filled with bad decisions.  A panel discussion will follow the screening.  A presentation of the Community Cinema 2010/2011 film series in partnership with Detroit Public Television.  This event is FREE and open to the public. The Black History Month film series is sponsored by Comcast.   http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/130-me-facing-life-cyntoias-story-film-screening

Art of the Masters Gallery Talk & Panel Discussion

Thursday 2/17 @ 6 pm

Experience the exhibit, Art of the Masters: A Survey of African American Images, 1980 - 2000, with this engaging evening lecture and panel discussion moderated by museum curator Patrina Chatman with guest panelists Gregory Johnson, Jide Aje, Hugh Grannum, Gilda Snowden, Allie McGhee and Shirley Woodson.  This event is FREE and open to the public.  http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/133-art-of-the-masters-exhibit-talk-a-panel-discussion

Saturday In Blue: a Tribute to Blues Masters Billie, Bessie & Ida (concert)

Saturday 2/19 @ 4 pm

Spend your Saturday afternoon at a fantastic concert tribute to the Masters of the Blues, featuring Detroit's own Thornetta Davis and Memphis' Queen of Beale Street, Ms. Ruby Wilson.  This event is FREE and open to the public. http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/135-saturday-in-blue-a-tribute-to-blues-masters-billie-bessie-a-ida-concert

We Remember You: An Afternoon of Poetry with Haki Madhubuti & Sonia Sanchez

Sunday 2/20 @ 4 pm

Join professors and world-renowned poets Dr. Haki R. Madhubuti and Dr. Sonia Sanchez as they celebrate the voices & verses of Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Etheridge Knight, Gwendolyn Brooks, Lucille Clifton, Audre Lorde, Zora Neal Hurston & Dudley Randall.  This one-of-a-kind event is FREE and open to the public!  Sponsored by PNC Bank.

http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/136-we-remember-you-an-afternoon-of-poetry-from-haki-madhubuti-a-sonia-sanchez

Hustle for History (recurring weekly - $)

Sunday 2/20 from 5 - 7 pm

http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/120-hustle-for-history

30 Days To Lose It! Workout (recurring weekly - $)

Tuesday 2/22 @ 7:30 pm

Featuring a Hustle for Health workout with Thomasenia Johnson of Two Left Feet @ 7:30.  Free for members, $5 for non-members. Purchase 8 sessions and receive a complimentary museum membership, making your next 12 months FREE! For more information please call (313) 494-5817 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it @ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/128-30-days-to-lose-it-workout

This is My Africa (film screening)

Wednesday 2/23 @ 6:30 pm

An award-winning documentary directed and produced by Zina Saro-Wiwa, this quirky and unique film is a journey into an Africa that many do not know about. Created to reveal a more personal vision of the continent by weaving together the personal memories, tastes and experiences of 21 Africans and Africaphiles, This Is My Africa has been described as a 50-minute crash course in African culture.  A Q&A session will follow the screening.  This event is FREE and open to the public. The Black History Month film series is sponsored by Comcast.    http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/131-this-is-my-africa-film-screening

Farafina Kan (African drumming and dance performance - $)

Friday 2/25 @ 7:30 pm

Farafina Kan (literally translated as the sound of Africa) is a Washington D.C.-based professional performing arts company dedicated to maintaining and enhancing the history, integrity and representation of traditional African drumming and dancing. Having been reared and engaged in the West African Performing Arts for the majority of their lives and led by two brothers - Founder and Artistic Director, Mahiri Fadjimba Keita and Managing Director, Diallo Sumbry, Farafina Kan is taking traditional West African drumming and dancing to new heights. Whether performing traditional rhythms, songs and dances; or seamlessly fusing traditional rhythms and songs with contemporary arrangements, Farafina Kan always ROCKS THE HOUSE!  Tickets are $15 / $10 for members and children 12 and under. Sponsored by AARP.  http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/129-farafina-kan-african-drumming-and-dance-performance

Just Like Me & Oscar Micheaux Youth Short Film Festival

Saturday 2/26 @ 12 pm

The culmination of a program of the Charles H. Wright Museum in partnership with VIP Mentoring and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Detroit and funded by the Kresge Foundation, this film festival features short films written and produced by participating teens.  Over the course of the project, participants worked steadily on their very own films.  Come see the movie magic they’ve made!  FREE and open to the public.  http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/138-just-like-me-a-oscar-micheaux-youth-short-film-festival

Hustle for History (recurring weekly - $)

Sunday 2/27 from 5 - 7 pm

http://chwmuseum.org/upcoming-events/details/121-hustle-for-history

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

315 East Warren Avenue

Detroit, MI 48201

(313) 494-5800

www.CharlesHWrightMuseum.org

HOURS (Open every day of February for Black History Month): Mon - Sat 9 am – 5 pm | Sun 1 – 5 pm

ADMISSION: $8 adults (13 +), $5 seniors (62 +) & youth (3 – 12), free for members & children under 3

UPDATE: Want to compete? THE DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED! You've got till 5 pm Monday February 21st to enter our call for contestants for the 30 Days to Lose It March weight-loss challenge!

Calling all candidates!  The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is kicking off its second annual 30 Days To Lose It! weight-loss challenge.  The museum is now accepting 3 - 5 minute videos, via YouTube only, from candidates explaining why they should be selected as a weight-loss contestant during the month of March.  All entrants must be women who are at least 18 years old and 30 pounds or more overweight.  Only one submission per entrant will be accepted, and only one entrant will be considered per video submission.  YouTube links for videos should be sent to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, February 15 at 5 pm.  Ten contestants will be selected by a panel of experts that includes:

• Dr. Yvonne Anthony, Director, Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion
• Florine Mark, President and CEO, The WW Group
• Dr. Cynthia Taueg, Vice President of Community Health, St. John Health System
• Dr. Kimberlydawn Wisdom, Vice President, Community Health, Education and Wellness, Henry Ford Institute Health System

The contestants will be announced at 30 Days To Lose It! on Tuesday, March 1, where the evening of free health screenings, Jazzercise workout and other activities at the Charles H. Wright Museum, located at 315 East Warren Avenue in Detroit, begins at 6 pm.  PLEASE NOTE: submissions will not be accepted that evening.  Candidates must attend March 1st to finalize their participation.  Selected contestants will begin a specialized, weekly regimen with Range of Motion Fitness and Weight Watchers.  The winner of the month-long challenge will receive a 1-year membership at Range of Motion Fitness including online fitness and nutrition tracking programs; a 12-week pass to a local Weight Watchers meeting; free attendance to a 2nd Saturday Wellness Workshop by Dr. Velonda Thompson of Be-Fit Inc.; Jafra beauty products; Workout & Worship book and DVD by Lazet Michaels Boatman, CEO of Life Center Private Fitness Facility; and a $25 gift certificate to the Charles H. Wright Museum store.
For more information, please contact 30 Days To Lose It! program coordinator Angela G. King at (313) 494-5817, or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Good luck!!!

This is a photo from the Horace L. Sheffield Collection, credited to photographer Jim Yardley. If you recall, Mr. Sheffield was a prominent player in our labor-themed September photo blog. To refresh, Mr. Sheffield was an incredibly prominent labor leader for the UAW. His vision and relentlessness was very important to the civil rights movement and obtaining equal rights within the work place. It is unknown where this march took place. During the 1960s labor and civil rights marches were happening with such frequency and in so many cities that this can be from any one of those locals or dates. In analyzing the rest of the Sheffield collection, I would venture that this march took place in Washington D.C. because there are other photos of a labor march that took place there. The joining of hands while marching was a sign of solidarity between workers, and African-Americans and whites. If you look very closely to the very far left, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. walks right next to Mr. Sheffield.

Collection: Horace L. Sheffield Collection; date: 1960 - 1968.  Photograph courtesy of the Collections and Exhibitions department of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History (http://chwmuseum.org).  Research, caption and scanning by Derek Thomas Sojda.  For more information please contact the Louise Lovett Wright Library and Robert L. Hurst Research Center at (313) 494-5840 or via email at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  For this and other informative posts, please visit http://chwmuseum.org/explore/blog.  Image and content copyright Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, all rights reserved.

The start of a new year is upon us, and with it, the hope and promise of great things to come.  This is true in each of our lives, and for our museum as well.  We are entering our busiest time of the year, with MLK Day and Black History Month, and 2011 promises to build upon the legacy of entertaining, educational and thought-provoking exhibitions and event programming The Wright Museum is well known for.

2011 MLK Day
This year marks the 25th national observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and to commemorate this milestone the museum has something for everyone.  Our annual Breakfast Celebration is a rousing way to start the day, and with great food in the Ford Freedom Rotunda, guest speaker Rev. Dr. Byron C. Moore of Historic Ebenezer A.M.E. Church of Detroit, music by Armond with Chris Jones and performances by the Plymouth Revelation Dancers, you’ll end the morning with body, mind and spirit filled to the brim!  The day itself will again feature a full array of film screenings, theatrical performances, workshops and activities for the whole family, so do please join us.

Exhibitions
Additionally, the next three months include three new exhibitions to complement our newest Contemporary Artist Exhibit, Framed Stories: The Art of Carmen Cartiness Johnson and Jerome Wright, which opened in December.

Local favorite Gale Fulton Ross will be featured in Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise: An Artist’s Journey, which opens on MLK Day.  Equally exciting is the opportunity to partner with artist Tyree Guyton and the Heidelberg Project to celebrate its 25th anniversary with the exhibit, The Heidelberg Project: Art, Energy and Community, which opens February 1. Finally, we’re pleased to host The Chris Webber Collection: Exceptional People During Extraordinary Times, 1755 - Present, an exhibit featuring the collection of the retired NBA star, philanthropist and collector.  It includes artifacts from Phillis Wheatley, Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and others and opens March 11.  Mr. Webber initially collected these items for his own personal inspiration, but soon realized their potential to educate and inspire others, so we’re proud to be partnering with him to bring their history to a wider audience.

A Little of This...
... a little of that: who says you can’t sample from the wide array of events taking place at the museum?  From our weekly Hustle for History dance lessons and 30 Days to Lose It! health screenings, seminars and workouts, to concerts, plays, films, dinners, parties, lectures and workshops, there’s always something taking place here.  And the best way to enjoy it all is to become a member.   Most events are discounted or free for members, and with free general admission you can take it all in at your own pace.  If you’re already a member, please consider gift memberships for family and friends.  I can guarantee there will be enough taking place these next few months to fill anyone’s docket!   Plus you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you are continuing to support the museum’s work of exploring and presenting African American history and culture and serving the community in which we’re based.

Membership is the lifeblood of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, so we thank each and every one of you, and encourage all of our friends and visitors to join.  What better way to start the New Year than with a resolution to continue your support and make the museum a regular entry on your own personal events calendar?

With the final standing ovation in the museum’s Contemporary Artist Gallery, the “Music from the Apollo” listening series came to a close. Momentarily, the collected paintings took a backseat as the shapers of the Motown sound enthralled the audience, certainly the largest attendance of all the sessions in the series. The guests of honor were Motown consultant Maxine Powell, The Miracles member Bobby Rogers, and the one-and-only Martha Reeves of The Vandellas. All was hosted, as always, by Al McKenzie, former music director for the Temptations.

The overriding theme of the event had to be the feeling of family that the Motown musicians shared. Powell served as Motown’s image-maker and finishing school matron, making sure that each performer carried themselves in the classy tradition of the label. Reeves would later comment, in response to a question about competition between the girl groups of Motown, that “Mrs. Powell would not allow them to fight amongst each other,” instead focusing on competing as a collective unit against other record labels.

Bobby Rogers recounted stories about The Matadors becoming The Miracles and how he met Martha Reeves while the two were in high school. As it turns out, Rogers’ wife, a friend, and his sister-in-law and niece were in attendance in the audience. Eventually, the whole room joined in on a verse of “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me.”

It was Martha Reeves, however, that brought the whole thing together. Her stories illustrated how much the family of Motown meant: spontaneously having to take over as secretary at Hitsville, U.S.A., encountering the boy who would become Stevie Wonder, the two-take recording of “Dancing in the Street,” to the inclement weather which kept them in England for another week. Every story involved interactions with staff and fellow musicians at Motown, down to the woman who provided wigs for quick hair changes at shows. Coincidentally, that woman was also in the audience.

The familial feeling continues to extend. Many in the audience thanked the speakers for contributing universally adored music and their contributions to the city of Detroit. The speakers returned the sentiment, crediting Detroit for supporting Motown to national fame.

On the whole, the experience felt less like a lecture and more like a reunion. It goes to show the power of the accomplishments these people have earned, that they’ve gone past the level of artists we are comfortable listening to and into something we are used to having in our lives.

The poem I read on "It's Showtime At The Apollo" in 1995 changed my life.  I wrote that poem while I was still living on Detroit's West Side and I’d never been to NYC. I wanted to write a poem, at 21, that celebrated women of color, girls that looked like all of my girls. I didn't know the full history of NY's Statue of Liberty when I wrote my poem, and of course, I would later learn that the original statue was actually an African woman breaking shackles off her ankles and arms.

This is the poem. It was later published in my first book, The Words Don't Fit in My Mouth.

Black Statue of Liberty
by jessica Care moore

I stand still above an Island Fists straight in the air Scar on my face Long braids in my hair
People fly from all over just to swim near my tide or climb up my long flight of stairs but they trip on their shoe string lies piece by piece they shipped my body to this country
now that i'm here
your people don't want me
I'm a symbol of freedom
but i'm still not free
I suffer from race, class and gender in equality
I wear a crown of knowledge cause i'm a conscious queen my mask is one of happiness but my history here if full of misery, done deliberately

I am america's true statue of liberty cause liberty is just old mother nature and although you don't love her she'll never hate ya she's earth, wind and fire don't tempt him to show her power turning all weeds to flowers looking into her wise eyes will make a blind man see how can you dare name a Eurocentric girl after me?

Assata Shakur Barbara Jordan Nikki Giovanni  and Angela Davis

These are the true symbols of liberty
But that stone faced french women ain't gonna save us the same folks who enslaved us I'm sitting at the back of the bus cause i feel like it I play ball not cause you pay me to dunk it dribble it or hike it

Taking all my people back home and breaking them mentally free.

I'm the walking talking breathing statue of liberty
I sweep crack pipes out school yards I nurture my man when times are hard
So, where's out statue??
What's a liberated woman gotta do?

place my name in wet cement every month i pay the rent put my silhouette on a stamp
i'm not a ho slut or tramp
my children aren't on crack and either am i
I wanna see the words
"Go strong black woman" When the good year blimp flies by.

I can bake cookies, bare babies, resides of revolutions

Get rings out of tubs, wear a suit, slick my hair back or tie it in braids
My aura is unafraid
So, no statue in the big apple can mess with me.
I'm the walking, talking, breathing, surviving
Black Statue of Liberty

Copyright 1996 Moore Black Press.

jessica Care moore is an internationally renowned poet, playwright, actor, activist, producer and CEO of Moore Black Press.  She is the author of The Words Don't Fit in My Mouth, The Alphabet Verses The Ghetto, God is Not an American, and a forthcoming book of essays, Literary Apartheid.  She has performed her poems and solo theater shows all over the United States, in South Africa, and across Europe.  From her Broadway performances at Carnegie Hall, or Harlem's Apollo Theater, London's Institute of Contemporary Arts, to New York's Jazz at Lincoln Center, moore believes poems belong everywhere and to everyone.  Her new show, The Missing Project: Pieces of the D is an international storytelling live art music show that features an experimental jazz orchestra and the work of graffiti artist Antonio "Shades" Agee.  Her debut rock album, Black Tea, will be completed soon.  moore continues to push the boundaries of genre, with her first conceptual art installation, NANOC: I Sing The Body Electric, opening at Dell Pryor Gallery in 2011.  She lives in Detroit, where she is completing her memoir, Love is Not the Enemy, and raising the 4-year old love of her life, King Thomas James Moore Poole.

Dear Friends:

This year marks the 45th year of existence for the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, and we’re pleased to report that the institution, the world’s largest of its kind, is more robust than ever.  Highlights from the past year include:

• Partnering with over 90 organizations, including the Detroit International Jazz Festival, Arab American National Museum, and Wayne State University, to present a diverse array of programming
• Offering over 150 educational and public programs
• Presentation of the Smithsonian’s Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing: How the Apollo Theater Shaped American Entertainment and the National Conference of Artist’s Art of the Masters: A Survey of African American Images, 1980 – 2000 traveling exhibitions
• Organization of the Crowning Glories: Status, Style and Self-Expression exhibition as well as 5 contemporary artist exhibits
• A complete redesign of the museum’s website and expansion into the social media realm, including a Facebook fan page which has grown to over 10,000 fans in less than 12 months
• National media attention from NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and BET.com
• Hosting performances by national and international artists such as Third World, Nikki Giovanni, Daniel Beaty, K’Jon, Kindred the Family Soul, and Sarah Jones
• Esteemed visitors, including former President Chissano of Mozambique, actor/writer/director/producer Glynn Turman, musical artist and entrepreneur Usher, and most importantly, each and every one of our members and supporters from the general public.

Additionally, we were proud to be chosen as the location for one of Mayor Dave Bing’s Detroit Works Project town hall meetings, and for the Living Cities Foundation, a consortium of 21 of the world’s largest foundations and financial institutions, to announce 17 million dollars in investment being made available to Midtown Detroit.  Events such as these underscore the importance of this museum not just as a major cultural institution, but also a center of community in this great city.

In these challenging times, we continue to make the adjustments necessary to be economically sustainable.  However, the museum cannot be judged by a balance sheet alone.  We must be “in the black” and have an impact – these two are not mutually exclusive, and indeed must be mutually intertwined: to create the sustainability necessary we must engage and inform on an exponential level.  Our mission to educate is sacred; there is no question about that.  However, everything else must be open to discussion.  Our service to the community is at the core of what we do.  We’ll continue to look for new and innovative ways to partner with others to expand our collective reach and further our aim of celebrating African American history and culture.

The “great recession” has confronted us all with the need to reset, at the organizational, city, state and national levels.  History confirms that we are innovators, and we must draw from that strength, now more than ever.  We need everyone at the table bringing all that they have – money, time, talents and strategic thinking.  Every generation must come with their best, and with that, we’ll not just get by, we will succeed and prosper.  

This is the mindset that will help us not only face but overcome the present adversity, just as our ancestors and elders did with prior, seemingly insurmountable challenges.  We can draw strength from that history that is all of ours, and recognize the amazing resiliency that has allowed African Americans to overcome slavery, racism and disenfranchisement and reach the corridors of power and the highest office in the land.  The toughness that is needed now is the grit that is woven into the fabric of this great city, of this country, and in African American culture.  And it is not just this institution or the African American community that needs it – it is all of us, this entire nation. It is in these times that the voices of history in this museum can help each of us find that strength and resiliency to overcome our present circumstances.  The stories that come out of here, as well as enter with each of our visitors, are the keys to unlocking our inherent greatness.  More than ever, we need to look in that mirror of self-reflection and know, at the deepest levels of our being and as a core of confidence, that “we still got it.”

Thank you for your continued support and dedication.

Very truly yours,

Elizabeth (“Betty”) Brooks
Chairperson, Board of Trustees

Juanita Moore
President & CEO

It is not often that you can be witness to a candid, intimate, passionate discussion of music and culture that involves the mainstay performers and managers that helped to shape the history that they now draw on to advise the future. It is less often that the discussion also involves a contemporary player in the industry who owes his success, not only to the drive to succeed, but to the very people that came before and now sit to his side. Such was the scene on November 18 at the Wright as the museum held the second of its “Music from the Apollo Theater” listening sessions. They are all hosted by the famed, award-winning, and all-around musical man Al McKenzie, former music director and keyboard player of The Temptations. The November 18 session had, as guests, Bertha Barbee and Caldin Gill, of Motown girl group The Velvelettes, and Randy Scott, musician and producer whose credits include Kirk Franklin and Tim Bowman.

It would take many pages to list the collective accomplishments of these unsung hit makers, but more significant is what they represent. Bertha and Cal reminisced about performing as girls three times a day at the Apollo, having to take turns at napping with the rest of their quintet in-between shows. Randy regaled the audience with the story of his long shot trip from Michigan to New York and having to borrow over-sized clothes from friend and comedian Sinbad when he performed on (and won) three straight recordings of “Amateur Night at the Apollo.” The parents of Cal, who was still in 9th grade when The Velvelettes formed, objected strongly to anything that would interfere with her education; Bertha was a junior music major, and the rest of the group were also either in college or high school. Similarly, Randy’s father, whose dedication to his son’s passion extended to driving him to the Apollo, objected to Randy’s initial contract offerings, pushing for his son to finish college and to be wary of pitfalls of the industry.

As the evening grew late, talk turned to the idea of the black community being able to hold onto or reclaim the musical culture and contributions that we have given to the country and world. Amidst the talk was the central idea that education and hard work were important. If The Velvelettes were better educated about the industry, they may have been able to negotiate better contracts from the infamous Motown management style, a fact that Al McKenzie attested to. When I asked Randy Scott what he would have done if the Apollo crowd had turned sour on him in the initial performance, he admitted that he would have spent a few weeks crying, but would eventually muster the courage to continue on.

It’s stunning how similar the stories of the Velvelettes and Randy Scott were and continue to be. As Detroit, Michigan, the U.S., and the world moves forward, one can apply the lessons to every facet of life and push others to do the same.