Exhibit
Family Foundations
Four Stories of Black Washtenaw County Community Building, 1850 to 1950
October 2023 through May 2024
November 2023 through February 2024
African American Cultural &
Historical Museum of Washtenaw County
1528 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
March through May 2024
Washtenaw Community College
4800 E Huron River Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
June through August 2024 (TBD)
Ann Arbor District Library
343 South Fifth Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Family Foundations: Four Stories of Black Washtenaw County Community Building, 1850 to 1950 features the migration stories of four historic Black families from Washtenaw County, MI: the Jewett and Asher-Aray families from Ann Arbor/Pittsfield Township, and the Kersey and Bass families from Ypsilanti.
Using photographs, an interactive map, and oral histories from these families’ descendants, this hybrid exhibit tells the stories of how these families laid the foundation for generations of Black community building to come.
A book will be brought to form by Fifth Avenue Press as a companion piece to the exhibit.
4 panels dedicated to each family:
1
Family Narrative
Narrative of the family’s history in Washtenaw County, written by their descendants.
Family Tree
2
Graphic of the descendant’s family tree.
3
Photo Wall
Family photographs, important items and places
4
Memory Box
Letters, documents, and a QR code link to the descendants’ oral history interview (hosted on Ann Arbor District Library website).
