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Ann Arbor 200
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There Went The Neighborhood: The Closing of Jones School

As part of Ann Arbor 200, the Ann Arbor District Library and 7 Cylinders Studio (7CS) have produced a documentary film about the closing of Ann Arbor's Jones School. In 1965, the Board of Education closed the majority-Black school. Ann Arbor joined a nationwide trend of school desegregation during the Civil Rights Era. But for these young students, the loss of a neighborhood school foreshadowed changes to their close-knit community. Gentrification came to Ann Arbor on the heels of desegregation.

In the making of this film, 7CS filmmakers and AADL archivists interviewed over thirty former Jones students and Black community leaders. They shared memories of Jones School and "The Old Neighborhood"—the areas now known as Kerrytown and Water Hill. A filmed walking tour, studio interviews, and historical photos form the core of the film. Run time is approximately 40 minutes.
 

The AADL Archives has many additional materials to explore relating to these topics, including a history of Jones School and dozens of Ann Arbor News articles that appear in the film:

Ellis Fondren, City Council Hopeful, Dies

Ellis Fondren, City Council Hopeful, Dies image
Parent Issue
Day
12
Month
December
Year
1960
Copyright
Copyright Protected
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Media

AACHM Oral History: Alice Brennan-Key

Alice Brennan-KeyAlice Brennan-Key was born in Ann Arbor in 1953. Her parents met in Florida after her father immigrated from the Bahamas, and they moved to Ann Arbor in the 1940s. Brennan-Key grew up on Gott Street, next door to her current residence. She has seen the neighborhood change over the years due to gentrification. She went to Michigan State University as an undergraduate and received her master’s in social work from the University of Michigan. She spent most of her career working with developmentally disabled and mentally ill residents of Washtenaw County. She raised her daughter Khyla in Ann Arbor.

View historical materials.

Bethel Toy Club Founder Succumbs

Bethel Toy Club Founder Succumbs image
Parent Issue
Day
19
Month
January
Year
1972
Copyright
Copyright Protected

Anthony, Nannie B.

Anthony, Nannie B. image
Parent Issue
Day
20
Month
January
Year
1972
Copyright
Copyright Protected

Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church on North Fourth Avenue, July 1958 Photographer: Duane Scheel

Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church on North Fourth Avenue, July 1958 image
Year:
1958
Published In:
Ann Arbor News, July 3, 1958
Caption:
LANDMARK CHURCH: One of the oldest churches in Ann Arbor is the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church at 632 N. Fourth Ave., built in 1891. Funds for building the church were contributed by city businessmen and the labor was furnished free by the church members.