Washtenaw Reads | Community Transcription with Justice InDeed

Washtenaw County is the 8th most income-segregated metro area in the United States, and this wasn't by chance. It was the result of deliberate policies and design that have perpetuated racial disparities. One of these policies was the use of racially restrictive covenants on properties throughout the county. These covenants prevented Black, Jewish, and other minoritized groups from owning or living on these properties.

Film Screening | There Went the Neighborhood

As part of Ann Arbor 200, the Ann Arbor District Library and 7 Cylinders Studio (7CS) have produced a documentary film about the closing of Ann Arbor's Jones School. In 1965, the Board of Education closed the majority-Black school. Ann Arbor joined a nationwide trend of school desegregation during the Civil Rights Era. But for these young students, the loss of a neighborhood school foreshadowed changes to their close-knit community. Gentrification came to Ann Arbor on the heels of desegregation.

The African American History of Detroit

Join us for a presentation by Professor Peter Boykin on the African American History of Detroit, beginning with illegal slavery in the city, as well as the city becoming a haven for the Underground Railroad. Other topics explored will be the Great Migration of African Americans from the South to Detroit, the election of Coleman Young as mayor, and the economic and political power of the African American population in the city during the latter half of the 20th century.

Archiving the Artwork of Janet Gallup: What Happens to an Artist’s Body of Work When That Artist’s Body is Gone

Ann Arbor artist and resident Hannah Burr shares about how she came to archive the artwork of Janet Gallup, an artist who lived and worked in Ann Arbor a generation before her, and how this process relates to and affects decisions she makes about her own art process and practice.

Janet Gallup was an accomplished printmaker and Ann Arbor resident who died in her late 60s in 1991; Hannah Burr is a mixed media artist who came to Ann Arbor 26 years after Janet’s passing.

Step It Up! The French Dukes: A Celebration, Performance, and Reading

Join us for a celebration of the French Dukes! Author Debbie Taylor will kick things off with a reading of her picture book, Step It Up! The French Dukes! Set in 1960's Ann Arbor, Kenny’s story is inspired by the real-life French Dukes Precision Drill Team. Members of the original team will talk with Debbie about their experience, and then do a short performance. They will also share what's happening with young community members today! Books will be for sale and Debbie Taylor will be available to sign them.

Film Screening | There Went The Neighborhood: The Closing of Jones School

Watch the film here!

Join the Ann Arbor District Library and 7 Cylinders Studio (7CS) for the premiere of a documentary film about the closing of Ann Arbor's Jones School. In 1965, the Board of Education closed the majority-Black school. Ann Arbor joined a nationwide trend of school desegregation during the Civil Rights Era. But for these young students, the loss of a neighborhood school foreshadowed changes to their close-knit community. Gentrification came to Ann Arbor on the heels of desegregation.