Room for Change: Ann Arbor's Fair Housing Protests in the 1960s

Fri, 12/27/2024 - 12:19pm

"In the early 1960s, Ann Arbor neighborhoods were still mostly segregated. Racially restrictive housing covenants, realtors, banks, and landlords quietly worked to keep African Americans confined to only certain parts of the city. Hundreds of individuals and groups, including the NAACP, CORE, churches, and student groups began picketing, marching, and organizing sit-ins in protest. This film presents some of their stories." - Filmmaker Jennifer Howard

There Went The Neighborhood - Studio Interview: Alma Wheeler Smith

Wed, 08/07/2024 - 2:06pm

Alma Wheeler Smith grew up in post-WWII Ann Arbor with two activist parents, Albert and Emma Wheeler. She recalls participating in picketing and demonstrations against segregation and redlining in Ann Arbor. She shares her perspective on her parents’ involvement in the decision to close Jones School.

This interview was filmed during the making of the documentary film There Went The Neighborhood: The Closing of Jones School, produced by the Ann Arbor District Library and 7 Cylinders Studio. More interviews are available in the There Went The Neighborhood Interview Archive.

AADL Talks To: Jody Kohn, former PR and Publicity for Borders

Wed, 07/03/2024 - 3:29pm

In this episode, AADL Talks To Jody Kohn, who worked for Borders in various roles, including merchandising, PR, Publicity, and Promotions, and director of communications for international stores. She witnessed many changes over the course of her career, and discusses the history of Borders as a brick and mortar from its origins in 1971 through the 1990s and later years. 

Black Women in the Workplace

Sat, 06/08/2024 - 6:51pm

In this video complied from dozens of interviews from the Living Oral History Project, Black women speak about their experiences working in Washtenaw County, including the various obstacles they had to face in hiring and on the job.

The Living Oral History Project is a partnership between the African American Cultural & Historical Museum of Washtenaw County and the Ann Arbor District Library, providing a permanent home for 50+ interviews with Black community members collected over the past decade.  The collection continues to grow with interviews added each year.

AACHM Oral History: Laurita Thomas

Wed, 09/22/2021 - 11:02am

Laurita Thomas was born in 1950, and her family lived in southwest Detroit and Ontario, California. She attended the University of Michigan and pursued two master’s degrees from Wayne State University and Eastern Michigan University. Throughout her career, Thomas has pushed for better career opportunities for women and women of color. She worked at U-M for 47 years, eventually serving as Vice President for Human Resources. A survivor of domestic violence, she regularly shares her story and was president of the board of Safe House Center in Ann Arbor.

View historical materials.