Resources:
Rylee Barnsdale's Feature Article: Ypsi library to host art show, program series on Underground Railroad
Ypsi Library Exhibit: "Through Darkness to Light: Photographs Along the Underground Railroad"
Transcription:
Rylee Barnsdale: You're listening to 89 one WEMU. I'm Rylee Barnsdale, and this is On the Ground Ypsi. Starting September 1st, the Ypsilanti District Library Whittaker branch will feature Jeanine Michna-Bales' photo exhibit "Through Darkness to Light," which captures the journey of enslaved people along the Underground Railroad. The library will also host programs throughout September and October, exploring Washtenaw County's ties to this pivotal chapter in history. Today, I'm joined by YDL assistant director Julianne Smith to learn a bit more about what folks can expect from their library this fall. Hi, Julianne! Thanks so much for being here!
Julianne Smith: Hi! Good morning!
Rylee Barnsdale: So, Julianne, what brought this particular exhibit to YDL? What about it excited you?
Julianne Smith: Well, as you know, Michigan has many spots along the Underground Railroad, so it's something that is literally in our backyards. There are a lot of exhibits that we host here at YDL, and this one, in particular, because of its relevance to our geography, was very appealing to us. We have a strong African American community here, and we just knew we could do some beautiful programming around it.
Rylee Barnsdale: What are some of the highlights of the exhibit that you think will resonate most with visitors? Can you share anything about that?
Julianne Smith: Sure. So, on Saturday, September 14th at 2:00, we're going to host an artist by the name of Christine Dixon. And she's been performing a one-woman Harriet Tubman show all across the country for years and years. And we're really excited to bring this. It's very family oriented, so it's appropriate for all ages. And I think attendees are going to learn a lot about Harriet Tubman that they didn't know. She has a very interesting story outside of just working on the Underground Railroad. And to see in kind of in-person performance of this, I think will be really insightful and will help people understand and appreciate her much, much more.
Rylee Barnsdale: This schedule that you have planned is pretty packed. Can you give us a couple of details on some of the other things folks can expect?
Julianne Smith: Sure. So, on Saturday, September 21st at 2:00, we're hosting a musician by the name of Reggie Harris. He's an award-winning singer and songwriter, and he's actually worked with the John F. Kennedy Center or the Partners in Education program over there. And he's going to give us a wonderful folk performance of some of the music that you might have experienced back then. And he has a special approach of using music to promote inclusion and the struggle for human rights. So, it's going to be kind of an interactive performance with a lot of backstory. I think that one's going to be very interesting and fun, too.
Rylee Barnsdale: This is WEMU's On the Ground Ypsi. I'm Rylee Barnsdale, still talking with YDL assistant director Julianne Smith. So, Julianne, you mentioned how a few of the events going on around this exhibition are going to be family-oriented. Are there more events that are geared mainly towards a younger audience, or is everything sort of all age appropriate?
Julianne Smith: Well, we definitely have things for younger children. As you know, a lot of the travelers on the Underground Railroad navigated by stars. And so we're going to have Buddy Stark, who's the U of M Museum of Natural History planetarium manager, come. And this is a program for about ages six and up. And he'll be here Saturday, September 28th at two. And he's going to teach the kids about star navigation and then help them make their own planet sphere, which is a device that you can use to predict which stars will be visible at what time of night or what time during the year. So, that's something very special for young people. And then, we also have a storytime and family bookfest that's going to be hosted by Black Men Read, which is a very popular local organization. That's going to be at our Superior branch. And then, we always try to provide opportunities for young people to engage with the exhibit outside of traditional lectures or things like that. So, the Black Men Read Book Party is going to be Thursday, September 26th at six. And then, on Saturday, October 12th at 11 here at Whittaker, there's going to be a family storytime with the theme of freedom. So, there will be lots of songs and movement and stories around that. And then, we also have a book discussion group, Thursday, October 3rd at 6:30 at our downtown branch, and the kids will be reading "If I Just Had Two Wings" by Virginia Frances Schwartz. And everyone who attends that will get a free book.
Rylee Barnsdale: And as far as folks who maybe would like to come and visit but are unable to, are there virtual opportunities as well built into the schedule?
Julianne Smith: On Thursday, September 17th at seven, there's a virtual presentation with quilts scholar Marsha McDowell, and she's going to talk about the history of African American quilting, and she's got a lot of wonderful and beautiful examples from both private and public collections. And a lot of those are based at Michigan State University in what's known as the Quilt Index.
Rylee Barnsdale: It sounds like you're very excited about all of the events to come, but are there any that are particularly interesting to you that you really want folks to know about and maybe have the experience of going out and doing?
Julianne Smith: I'm excited about all of them!
Rylee Barnsdale: Sure!
Julianne Smith: We are hosting a local Underground Railroad charter bus tour. And we're doing this in conjunction with the African American Cultural and Historical Museum here in Washtenaw County. So, this is going to be a three-hour tour from 2 to 5 on Sunday, October 13th. It will be led by Docent Deborah Meadows. And participants are going to go across Washtenaw County and explore some of the really important historical sites here that were important to the Underground Railroad. That one we do ask that you pre-register for because there will be a limit of 50 people.
Rylee Barnsdale: And folks can do that through the library's website?
Julianne Smith: Yes, absolutely!
Rylee Barnsdale: This is WEMU's On the Ground Ypsi. I'm talking with Julianne Smith, assistant director for the Ypsilanti District Library. So, Julianne, obviously a pillar of any library, but especially at YDL, is educating the community. How does YDL see this exhibit and the programming that you've described, maybe, influencing the community's understanding of the local history in our backyard when it comes to the Underground Railroad?
Julianne Smith: Whenever we host exhibits or programs like this, we want people to take away a richer understanding of what they saw and learned, so that it's not just superficial. It's something that you carry with you when you move forward knowing. So, you may have known that Michigan had stops along the Underground Railroad. You may have seen the Elijah McCoy plaque in our downtown branch plaza. But when you attend these kinds of programs and you hear from these scholars, I think it really enriches your understanding of what the Underground Railroad was here in Michigan. And especially if you are a young person, then when you go to learn about it in school, you not only know something from having attended these programs or seeing the exhibit, but you were excited about its relevance to you, and you have a positive association with it through programs like music and art.
Rylee Barnsdale: Do you see these programs and this exhibit, sort of, fostering conversations within the community about how these parts of history are still impacting us today?
Julianne Smith: Absolutely! So, we're having a commissioner from the Michigan Freedom Trail Commission come and speak, and her name is Adelaide Lancaster. She's going to give a very personal story about her association with the Underground Railroad. She has a very interesting background and that she was named for two ancestors, one who was an enslaver in South Carolina and the other was an abolitionist and part of the Underground Railroad in Connecticut. And that, obviously, personal history has influenced her a great deal. And she works to this day in a lot of community engagement and anti-racism work. And I think that work is still going on, obviously, and is very important to our community and how we all move forward together.
Rylee Barnsdale: Now, this exhibition and programming, this is running from September 1st to October 20th. Can you wrap things up with a sort of look into the future of what's to come as well?
Julianne Smith: Yeah, we tried to do an exhibit every year, and we offer kind of these themed semesters of programs around the art or the work of the exhibit. This is our big one for 2024. And, in 2025, we're really looking forward to hosting one called "The State of Water: Our Most Valuable Resource." And, obviously, Michigan, being known as the Third Coast, has a deep and personal relationship with water. So, we're really excited to see what we can do with that in 2025.
Rylee Barnsdale: Well, Julianne, thank you so much for being here today! I'm sure that...I mean, you've said it yourself, you're very excited for this exhibit to open. And I'm sure you're also excited for the community to come and experience it firsthand once it does open.
Julianne Smith: Absolutely! We're open 9 to 9 Monday through Thursday, 10 to 6 Friday-Saturday, and 1 to 5 here at Whittaker on Sundays. So, please come and see it! And I think people will be richly rewarded!
Rylee Barnsdale: For more information on today's topic and links to the full article, visit our website at wemu.org. On the Ground Ypsi is brought to you in partnership with Concentrate Media. I'm Rylee Barnsdale, and this is your community NPR station, 89 one WEMU FM, Ypsilanti.
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