DETROIT—The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History has been awarded a three-year, $1.5 million grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The grant will be used to support the museum’s redesigned core exhibition, And Still We Rise: Our Journey through African American History, living history programs and educational outreach.
And Still We Rise covers 3.5 million years of African and African-American history, moving from ancient Africa to modern Detroit. The state-of-the-art, 22,000-square-foot core exhibition is spread across 22 distinct, multi-leveled interactive galleries.
“We have created an experience that we believe will emotionally engage, intellectually stimulate and inspire young and old alike,” said Christy Coleman, the museum’s president and CEO.
A component of the program will support tours for students from area schools. Teachers will receive curriculum material to support in-school projects that focus on African-American history.
The Charles H. Wright Museum is a national resource on African-American history and culture, the largest of its kind in the United States. Located in the city of Detroit, the museum succeeded in raising membership to 15,000 in 2004, up from 3,500 the previous year.
“Knight Foundation is proud to be a partner in the museum’s new exhibit because the Charles H. Wright Museum is the heart of African-American culture for the city and the region,” said Brenda Price, Knight’s community liaison for Detroit. “It’s one of the jewels in the crown of Detroit’s cultural community.”
Housing more than 30,000 artifacts and archival materials, the museum features five exhibition areas; the Louise Lovett Wright Research Library; the 317-seat General Motors Theater; and a store selling authentic African and African-American art, books and other merchandise.
Dr. Charles H. Wright, a physician, in partnership with 30 other civic-minded Detroiters, founded the museum in 1965. Originally named the International Afro American Museum (IAM), the museum evolved from three row houses in Detroit to the world’s largest institution dedicated to the African-American experience.
The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, located at 315 East Warren Ave., in Detroit’s Cultural Center is open Tuesday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday, 1 – 5 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for seniors (ages 62+) and $5 for children (ages 3-12). Museum members and children under 3 are admitted free. Visit the museum on the web at www.maah-detroit.org.
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes journalism excellence worldwide and invests in the vitality of Detroit and 25 other U.S. communities. Visit the foundation on the web at www.knightfdn.org.