Black History

The University Musical Society is bringing Detroit-based saxophonist Marcus Elliot and his seven-piece band to Ypsilanti this weekend. His upcoming concerts will be a celebration of Ypsilanti's history of being a refuge for Black Americans going all the way back to the 1830's. Elliot gives a preview of his performance in a conversation with WEMU's Michael Jewett.

Frederick Douglass is one of the most iconic figures in American history, and, during the height of his career, he visited Ypsilanti to give three…

Earlier this month, we took a quick look into the Underground Railroad in our Southeast Michigan. As part of Black History Month, we continue exploring…

At the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival in February, one couldn't help but notice the striking new grand piano on the main stage, emblazoned with the name…

Though we hear a lot about bombings and physical attacks, efforts to take down leaders of the American Civil Rights Movement came in many forms. Rev.…

Nearly 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, many of the Southern states in America were segregated and openly oppressive to African Americans.…

The bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham was a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement. But for Freeman Hrabowski, now president of…

With so much on the line, one might think that everyone in the Black community would be on the same page when it came to fighting for civil rights. But…

It seems almost natural that a movement with an aim of racial equity would include the young and the old, men and women, Northerners and Southerners, as…

With the physical safety of civil rights workers at stake, it was imperative that trained medical practitioners be on hand during protests. The Medical…