AADL is proud to welcome two members of African Royalty who will offer their perspectives on the culture of their country in this special lecture, cosponsored by AADL, the UM Center for World Performance Studies and the U-M Stearns Collection of Musical Instruments.

Nana Kwadwo Nyantakyi III (Sanaahene or Chief of the Treasury in the Asante Kingdom) and Nana Afia Adoma II (Queen of Antoa-Krobo in the Asante Kingdom) will discuss African Akan and Asante culture.

This lecture is part of a month-long artist residency sponsored by the Center for World Performance Studies. A related lecture on Royal Instruments and Music of West Africa will also be held at the Downtown Library on Wednesday, October 8.

Nana Kwadwo Nyantakyi III -Having served three kings in Ghana, Otumfuo Agyeman Prempeh II, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, and currently Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Nana Kwadwo Nyantakyi III has accumulated and extraordinary wealth of knowledge of Akan and Asante culture and will provide fascinating insights.

Nana Afia Adoma II - As a matrilineal society, Akan Queens are entrusted with lineage history, values, the complex political hierarchy, and succession procedures.

Did you know that the global fair trade movement began with the founding of Ten Thousand Villages more than 60 years ago? Pioneering businesswoman Edna Ruth Byler was struck by the overwhelming poverty she witnessed during a 1946 trip to Puerto Rico and was moved to take action. She ignited a global movement to eradicate poverty through market-based solutions. For the next 30 years, Byler worked tirelessly to connect entrepreneurs in developing countries with market opportunities in North America. From humble beginnings, Ten Thousand Villages has now grown to a global network of social entrepreneurs working to empower and provide economic opportunities to artisans in developing countries.

Come meet Bill Henderson, store manager, and founding member Norene Kanagy. They will share fair trade principles, the history, and mission and tell the local history of the formation of the Ten Thousand Villages store at 303 S. Main St., Ann Arbor.

Come join the conversation about sustainability in Ann Arbor!

The City and the AADL are hosting the third annual Sustainable Ann Arbor Series, which will include four events (held monthly and ending in April), each focusing on a different element of sustainability from Ann Arbor’s Sustainability Framework.

This final event in the series centers on Local Food, including highlights from the Ann Arbor farmers market, our local food economy, and tips on how to support and participate in Ann Arbor's local food system. Panelists include ​Jenna Bacolor, Executive Director, Community Education & Recreation Ann Arbor Public Schools; Hillary Bisnett, Healthy Food in Healthcare Project Director, Ecology Center​​​​; Sarah DeWitt​, Farmers Market Manager, City of Ann Arbor​; Robert Grese, Director, Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum; Professor, UM School of Natural Resources and Environment; and Yousef Rabhi​, Chair, Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners;

Each program will include a series of short presentations followed by a question and answer session. The forums offer an opportunity to learn more about sustainability in the community and tips for actions that residents can take to live more sustainably. Details of this series, and information and videos from current and past Sustainable Ann Arbor Forums, are posted on the City's website.

Bipolar disorder is a chronic disease with unstable and unpredictable moods. Many individuals with bipolar disorder live very productive lives, but an episode of mania or depression can be devastating. The ability to access support in time to prevent an episode is key for living a stable life with bipolar disorder.

Researchers at the University of Michigan Depression Center and College of Engineering have teamed up to create a program called PRIORI, which studies the acoustics of speech and the ability to predict mood state changes. This novel technology is designed to monitor moods with minimal effort from the patient.

Dr. Melvin McInnis, M.D., FRCPsych, the Thomas B. and Nancy Upjohn Woodworth Professor of Bipolar Disorder and Depression at the U-M Depression Center, will present a brief overview of bipolar disorder from a clinical and genetic perspective and provide information on new methods for monitoring moods. This will be followed by questions from the audience and a discussion with panelists John Gideon, BS, MS, Graduate Student Research Assistant, U-M Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Jennifer Montgomery, MSW, LMSW, Clinical Social Worker, U-M Department of Psychiatry; and Kelly Ryan, PhD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Neuropsychology Program, U-M Department of Psychiatry.

For more information, please visit the Depression Center website at U-M Depression Center, or contact Trish Meyer, 763-7495, or meyerpa@umich.edu.

Research conducted by the University of Michigan Depression Center suggested that as many as one in five pregnant women may experience symptoms of depression during the childbearing years. Many are symptomatic during their pregnancies, and symptoms may continue during their children’s early years.

Kate Rosenblum, Ph.D., Clinical Associate Professor in the U-M Department of Psychiatry, Director of the Women & Infants Mental Health Program, and Co-Director of the Infant and Early Childhood Clinic, will give a brief overview of the latest research on perinatal depression, including strategies for prevention, intervention, and raising resilient children. Novel early interventions to improve maternal depression, parenting skills, foster healthy attachment, and maximize a healthy developmental path for children will be explored.

This will be followed by questions from the audience and a discussion with panelists from the U-M Depression Center, including Maria Muzik, M.D., MSc., Assistant Professor, U-M Department of Psychiatry; Medical Director, Women and Infants Mental Health Clinic; Lisa Hammer, M.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, U-M Medical School; and Lulu Zhao, M.D., Clinical Lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynecology, U-M Medical School.

For more information on the UM Depression Center, please visit U-M Depression Center or contact Trish Meyer at 734-763-7495.

Jeff Gaynor, teacher at Ann Arbor Clague Middle School, spent five weeks in South Africa as part of a 2013 NEH (National Endowment for the Humanities) Teacher Summer Institute for Teachers entitled South Africa: Continuity And Change.

In this fascinating presentation, Jeff will share what he experienced and learned during those five weeks with a look at the history, people, and government, as well as the land of South Africa. He will give special focus to issues similar to what we face in the U.S.

Jeff Gaynor has been a teacher for 35 years; all but 4 years in Ann Arbor. His first 20 years were at the elementary level, and the last 15 years at Clague Middle School, where he teaches math, social studies, and language arts to 6th and 7th grade students.

There has been a great deal of discussion recently concerning the computer roll-out of the Affordable Care Act. However, less attention has been paid to the actual details of the ACA, especially relating to changes in coverage for mental illness. How exactly will these changes affect individual coverage and access to services, and on a broader level, how will the ACA impact a national mental health system that is already struggling to adequately serve the number of individuals seeking care?

To learn more about the Affordable Care Act and its impact on mental health coverage and access, the AADL and the U-M Depression Center present this discussion, featuring Marianne Udow-Phillips, MHSA, Director of the Center for Healthcare Research and Transformation, and member of the U-M Depression Center National Advisory Board. She will give a brief overview of the Affordable Care Act, focusing on the changes that will impact mental health care coverage and what this will mean on a practical level for individuals seeking care for themselves and/or their family members.

This will be followed by questions from the audience and a discussion with medical experts, including Gregory Dalack, MD, Chair, U-M Dept. of Psychiatry; Kara Zivin, PhD, Assoc. Professor, U-M Dept. of Psychiatry, and School of Public Health Faculty Associate, Institute for Social Research; and Dr. Duane DiFranco, MD, Senior Medical Director, Blue Care Network of Michigan.

This edition of Bright Nights was postponed from a previous date. For more information on the Depression Center, visit their website at www.depressioncenter.org, or contact Trish Meyer, 763-7495, or meyerpa@umich.edu.

Join members of the Arts Alliance for an interactive discussion of Art In The Community.

Attendees will have an opportunity to create a small art project, learn more about public art & design and offer their opinion on public art.

The Arts Alliance is currently working to develop a public-arts plan for the Washtenaw Corridor. This HUD-funded project includes an initial community survey, community focus groups, and an arts plan for future implementation of public arts, possibly within future "Super Transit Stops" for TheRide's bus route along the corridor.

This Arts Alliance public art & design community gathering will allow community members to have a voice in what themes, emblems, and images represented in future public art & design along the Washtenaw Corridor.

Join Rock and Roll Hall of Fame founding curator and U-M professor of American Culture Dr. Bruce Conforth as he traces the personal and musical history of the King of the Blues - B.B. King.

Using rare photographs, music, and historical data the amazing career of this 88 year-old legend of the blues comes to life. This event is co-sponsored by the Michigan Theater and held in conjunction with their Sunday, June 1 B.B. King Concert.

Bruce Michael Conforth was the Founding Curator of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. He has been a Lecturer in the Program in American Culture since 2001 and was the 2012 recipient of the Golden Apple Award for Outstanding Teaching. He received his PhD in ethnomusicology, folklore, American and African American studies from Indiana University and specializes in the blues, American roots music, 20th Century popular culture, and youth cultures. Bruce is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Blues Heritage Foundation and serves on the Executive Board of the Robert Johnson Blues Foundation where he is also resident scholar. Bruce continues to perform music and has just released his 5th album – Jump Up Devil – on which he performs acoustic blues. His new book "African American Folksong and American Cultural Politics" is published by Rowman & Littlefield.

Thinking about running for public office next year? Wish you knew more about the ins and outs of throwing your hat in the ring? You're in luck!

The Ann Arbor Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the League of Women Voters of the Ann Arbor Area (LWV-AAA) host this public forum, which will feature panelists who have successfully run for public office and served on the local school board, county commission, city council, and county clerk's office.

The discussion will be moderated by former Ann Arbor City Council member Wendy Woods. Other panelists include Larry Kestenbaum, Washtenaw County Clerk; Deb Mexicotte, President, Ann Arbor Board of Education; Rolland Sizemore, Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners; and Alex Yerkey, Managing Partner, Checkmate Campaign Strategies.