Events

Join us for this year’s MLK Jr. Day Celebration, A Dream Rooted in Faith: The Legacy of the Black Church in Detroit During the Civil Rights Movement. Throughout the day, families can enjoy hands-on arts and crafts activities inspired by themes of community, justice, and faith. The program also features an engaging presentation on Dr. King’s name change and his influential spiritual

Bundle up and join us for a cozy winter morning at the Detroit Historical Museum as we bring back this complimentary monthly event for DHS members. This month, we’re skating straight into Hockeytown with an inside look at our newest exhibition, Detroit Red Wings at 100: Becoming Hockeytown. Enjoy an engaging presentation by the Society’s Director

Join us for Shiver on the River, a wintery celebration of our natural resources presented in partnership with the Friends of the Detroit River. This free, family-friendly environmental fair highlights the beauty and importance of the Detroit River ecosystem with hands-on activities, educational displays, and seasonal fun for all ages. Bundle up, explore, and discover how

On the Shoulders of Giants is a dynamic, all-ages celebration of Black history, creativity, and community that brings Detroit’s Black legacy to life. High school students from the Detroit Public Schools Community District and Detroit Community School–Charter bring history to life through first-person narratives, dramatic monologues, and multimedia performances honoring both celebrated and under-recognized African American

Detroit’s history lives in the stories we carry, the places we remember, and the voices that refuse to be erased. Join us as the Black Bottom Archives presents their Preserving Black Legacy panel, featuring an intergenerational group of Detroit’s griots who are dedicated to safeguarding Black Detroit’s past, present, and future. Through lived experience, collective

Join Black Detroit organizers, storytellers, and civic leaders for a powerful panel conversation presented by Black Bottom Archives examining the vital role of community memory in the movement for reparations. The discussion connects the work of the Detroit Reparations Task Force and the Sankofa Community Research Project—two community-led initiatives advancing reparations for Black Detroiters—while highlighting

Detroit Historical Society Field Curator Billy Wall-Winkle will present a lecture exploring Detroit’s pivotal role as a major station on the Underground Railroad. Thousands of freedom seekers passed through Detroit, codenamed Midnight, crossing the Detroit River into Canada with the help of a dedicated and determined abolitionist community. Despite intense local opposition and constant threats

Join us for a special On the Shoulders of Giants program featuring African American young men from the Collegiate School in New York City—the oldest all-male private school in the country. As founders of the Carter G. Woodson Society at Collegiate, these high school students bring a powerful youth perspective to the study and stewardship of African

Through collage, flowers, and creative storytelling, With Love & Flowers: A Tribute to Detroit’s Black Matriarchs, presented by Black Bottom Archives, offers a hands-on, community-centered experience rooted in reflection and care. In celebration of Women’s History Month, this gathering invites participants to honor Detroit’s Black Matriarchs while reflecting on the question: What does it look like

Celebrate the closing of the From the Bottom Up exhibition by hearing from some of the Black Bottom storytellers featured in the Black Bottom Archives' Sankofa Community Research Project and help to preserve community history in a community digitization event. Bring family photos, documents, or memorabilia to be digitized while you keep the originals. Join us in