Events

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

Celebrate National Poetry Month with us at our “All Things Detroit Open Mic” Member Night at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum—an evening of creativity, community, and connection along the waterfront. Whether you’re a seasoned writer, a first-time reader, or simply someone who loves the rhythm of a well-crafted verse, you’re invited to take the mic

Join the Detroit Historical Society’s Education Coordinator Cate Waldecker for a captivating lecture that explores Detroit through the lives and legacies of the women who helped shape the city. From early figures like Madame de Cadillac to cultural icons such as the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, the program highlights twelve remarkable women whose stories