Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History facts for kids

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Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
Exterior of the museum
Established	1965 (current facility – 1997)
Location	315 E. Warren Ave Detroit, Michigan
Type	History museum and cultural history
Collections	African-American history, art, music
Collection size	more than 35,000
Visitors	300,000 (2019)
Architect	SDG Associates

The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, often called The Wright, is a special place in Detroit, Michigan, USA. It's one of the oldest independent museums in the world focused on African Americans. You can find it in Detroit's Midtown Cultural Center.

Opened in 1965, The Wright museum has the largest permanent collection of African-American culture anywhere. It holds over 35,000 amazing items. The museum's current building, which opened in 1997, is huge, covering 125,000 square feet! It was the biggest museum in the world dedicated to African-American history at that time.

The Wright shows many interesting things. You can see documents from the Underground Railroad and letters from famous people like Malcolm X and Rosa Parks. The museum has also hosted important memorial events for Rosa Parks and the "Queen of Soul," Aretha Franklin. Both lay in state in the museum's rotunda in 2005 and 2018.

Today, The Wright is also home to The National Museum of the Tuskegee Airmen. The museum also organizes the African World Festival. This is one of the biggest festivals celebrating the food, fashion, music, and dance of the African-American community.

History of The Wright Museum
- How the Museum Started (1965)
- Growing Bigger: New Locations
Museum Collections and Exhibits
Education and Fun Events
Building Highlights
See also

History of The Wright Museum

How the Museum Started (1965)

Charles H. Wright was a doctor in Detroit. He was an obstetrician and gynecologist. He got the idea to create a museum about African-American history after visiting a memorial in Denmark. This memorial honored World War II heroes.

Dr. Wright believed it was very important to teach young African Americans about their history. He wanted them to be proud of their ancestors and their struggle for freedom.

So, in 1965, Dr. Wright created the International Afro-American Museum (IAM). It opened its doors in January 1966. The IAM was located in a house Dr. Wright owned on 1549 West Grand Boulevard.

The IAM showed many cool things. It had galleries of African art and musical instruments. There was also a collection of inventions by African Americans. An exhibit on Civil Rights activists was also featured. Some exhibits included inventions by Elijah McCoy from Michigan. Masks from Nigeria and Ghana that Dr. Wright collected were also on display. Dr. Wright even created a traveling exhibit to tour around the state.

Growing Bigger: New Locations

In 1978, the city of Detroit gave the museum land in Midtown. This new spot was near the Detroit Public Library, the Detroit Institute of Art, and the Detroit Science Center. Construction for a new museum began on May 21, 1985.

Two years later, in 1987, the new Museum of African American History opened. It was 28,000 square feet and located at 301 Frederick Street.

But the museum quickly grew too big for this space too! So, city leaders started planning an even larger museum. In 1992, Detroit voters agreed to help pay for a bigger building. Construction for the third version of the museum started in August 1993.

In 1997, the current 125,000-square-foot building opened on Warren Avenue. This is where the museum is today. Detroit architects Sims-Varner & Associates (now SDG Associates) designed it. The Wright Museum is a non-profit organization. It works to keep artifacts safe and also to help African-American culture grow.

Museum Collections and Exhibits

The Wright Museum is home to over 35,000 items. These items tell the story of the African-American experience. Some important collections include the Blanche Coggin Underground Railroad Collection and the Harriet Tubman Museum Collection. The Sheffield Collection shows the history of the labor movement in Detroit.

Here are some of the main exhibits you can see:

And Still We Rise: Our Journey through African American History and Culture

And Still We Rise is a permanent exhibit at The Wright. It gives a full look at the amazing history of African-American strength and survival. This two-story journey takes visitors from ancient African kingdoms and the sad story of the Middle Passage. It then moves to the brave actions of the Civil rights movement and beyond. It's an interactive exhibit, meaning you can often touch or do things as you learn!

Ring of Genealogy (Ford Freedom Rotunda Floor)

Under the museum's famous dome is a huge mural by artist Hubert Massey. It's called "Genealogy" and is 72 feet long on the circular rotunda floor. This artwork was inspired by the fight of African Americans for freedom, education, money, and social equality. It's made from fancy terrazzo, marble chips, and cement.

The Museum's Poem Wall

One wall of the museum has its official poem written on it in bronze. The poem is called "This Museum Was Once a Dream," and it was written by Melba Boyd.

Education and Fun Events

The Wright Museum offers many public programs and ways to learn, especially for young people. These include historical reenactments, tours of exhibits, talks, summer camps, and workshops.

African World Festival

The African World Festival (AWF) started in 1983. It moved to the museum grounds in 2012. AWF is the museum's biggest public event. It's a family-friendly festival that welcomes over 150,000 people. It happens over a three-day weekend in August. It's one of the largest cultural festivals in the Midwest. It celebrates the histories and cultures of the African-American community.

Juneteenth Celebration

Juneteenth is the oldest national celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. In 2021, after President Joe Biden made Juneteenth (June 19) a federal holiday, the museum held a three-day celebration. It included both in-person and online events.

Kwanzaa Celebration

Kwanzaa is a celebration that takes place from December 26 to January 1. Each year, The Wright Museum has daily programs to mark Kwanzaa. These programs include songs, dances, storytelling, and poetry readings.

Camp Africa

Camp Africa is a free, week-long summer day camp for children ages 7 to 12. Campers learn about science, technology, engineering, math, and the arts. They explore and celebrate the achievements of people from across the African diaspora.

Building Highlights

Ford Freedom Rotunda

The Ford Freedom Rotunda has a huge glass dome. It's 100 feet across and 55 feet high. This makes it two feet wider than the Michigan State Capitol dome! Flags from 92 nations important to African-American history hang on the upper level. On the ground level, you'll see the Ring of Genealogy. This is a 37-foot terrazzo tile design with bronze nameplates of famous African Americans.

General Motors Theater

The General Motors Theater is a recently updated space with 317 seats. It's used for talks, concerts, movie showings, presentations, and workshops.

Helping the Environment

The Wright Museum also works to protect the environment. After a big flood in Detroit in 2014, the museum worked with the Michigan Science Center. They built equipment to help control stormwater on Warren Avenue. This helps the museum manage almost 190,000 gallons of stormwater each year. It has also permanently removed 50,000 gallons of stormwater from the sewer system.

Projects like the newly updated bioswale (a landscape feature that removes pollution from surface runoff) and urban gardens help prevent pollution in the Detroit River. They also make the museum campus beautiful. Plus, they teach students and visitors about protecting land and water.