The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

When visiting Detroit, the Charles A. Wright Museum, located downtown, is a must see. The first thing you notice is that it is not packed with stuff. It’s an airy and open venue used for everything from weddings to school trips.

In this era of President Bone Spurs, consider what it is like to begin with absolutely nothing. Taken from your home, you can’t have a family. You are not even permitted to own a dog!

You might not even be considered human.

Am I not a man and a brother? These tokens, made by Charles Darwin’s family, pushed the idea that an African was indeed a “man” I’d seen photos of them but here is the real thing, smaller than I imagined. Another thing I learned was that Saudi Arabia was active in the slave trade. And most slaves were Christians. East Africa embraced the religion in the 1300s.

Driven from the South after the Civil War, African-Americans found a home in Detroit, where their assembly and sewing skills were welcome and contributed to the affluence of the city.

Today, literacy is more important than “hand skills” since labor is cheaper overseas. Illiteracy is a looming problem that the city is determined to solve.

But don’t think for a moment that Detroiters don’t love their history and heritage.

You might find yourself on a street in 1920s Detroit.

We took in an exhibit about African-American hair stylists.

A traditional headrest from Africa kept people from messing their styles when they slept.

Modern hairstyles were part of an exhibit about being fancy.

This unicorn style celebrates European culture. Inclusivity is important. After all, unity is a part of Kwanzaa, which by the way, lasts from Dec. 26 to January 1. The important message of the exhibit was to love the way you are.

3 thoughts on “The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History”

This looks like a Must Visit. You’ve shared a lot of info here that I knew nothing about. Thanks!

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January 4, 2019 at 9:11 am Reply

Catherine Haustein

Thanks for reading. I learned a lot.

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January 4, 2019 at 6:25 pm Reply

This display is so different than expected for African-American Art. It seem so ultramodern it lost our true heritage aspect . Still a lot to learn thru the eyes of experienced artist.

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August 8, 2019 at 12:20 pm Reply