On February 20th, in a city known as much for its automobile legacy as its civil rights activism, Detroit will again observe Black History Month through the merging of historical narrative and musical expression. City Historian Jamon Jordan, appointed in 2021 as Detroit's first official chronicler of its storied past, teams up with the illustrious pianist Alvin Waddles to offer a lecture fittingly titled, “Let Our Motto Be Resistance!” The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History sets the stage for this free public event, requiring interested attendees to secure their spot at City of Detroit website.
Returning to join forces with Jordan, Waddles, whose fingers have caressed piano keys worldwide, promises to infuse the lecture with a musical undercurrent that speaks as profoundly as the spoken word. Together, they will navigate through centuries of African American resistance, from the earliest boycotts and marches to the most contemporary political discourse, with the Wright Museum providing an apt backdrop for the narrative. "It has never been more vital for us to learn and understand history than now," Lacey Holmes of Detroit ACE told the City of Detroit, in a view reflecting the urgency to honor and extend the legacy of Black American activism.
Jordan and Waddles collaboration is hardly a coincidental convenience; it is a deliberate pairing of two media, history and music, that are both distinct in their narrative powers yet inherently interwoven in the African American experience. "Understanding our history is essential to understanding resistance, imagination, and possibility," Lance Wheeler of the Wright Museum emphasized to the City of Detroit, acknowledging the museum's commitment to not merely preserving but actively cultivating a space where these stories of steadfastness and self-determination thrive.
Hours before the event, scheduled at 6 p.m., Jordan will once more underline the pivotal role that Detroit's history plays in the ongoing struggle for civil rights. Navigating through time, he reacquaints us with the familiar specters of economic, educational, and political challenges that persist in haunting our society. "Detroit's history reminds us that resistance is not new and that our community has always met injustice with organization, courage and vision," Jordan said, per the City of Detroit.
