MDOT and partners host Evening on Black Bottom and Paradise Valley Feb. 25 in Detroit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                     MEDIA CONTACT

February 12, 2025                                                                   Rob Morosi

                                                                                                    248-361-6288 MorosiR@Michigan.gov

 

MDOT and partners host Evening on Black Bottom and Paradise Valley Feb. 25 in Detroit

 

DETROIT, Mich. - The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, and Detroit Historical Society are hosting a panel discussion and community stories event to celebrate and honor the history, culture, arts and diversity of the former Black Bottom and Paradise Valley neighborhoods in Detroit. The event features presentations and discussions from a panel of historians and storytellers about life in the neighborhoods that were removed during urban renewal policies of the 1950s.

 

Who:

Jamon Jordan, City of Detroit historian

Rod Arroyo, academic scholar

Kimberly Cooley, a Taste of Hastings Street founder and owner

Josh Landon, Fox 2 News anchor (moderator)

Interested residents

MDOT staff and partners                   

 

When:

Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025 6 - 8 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Where:

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

315 E. Warren Ave.

Detroit, MI 48201

 

Accessibility:

Attendees who require mobility, visual, hearing, written, or other assistance for effective participation should contact Orlando Curry at 517-241-7462 or CurryO@Michigan.gov, preferably at least five business days prior to the scheduled meeting. Forms are located on the Title VI webpage. Requests made after this timeframe will be evaluated and honored to the extent possible.

 

Background:

This event is part of a series of MDOT’s initiatives to honor and acknowledge the social, environmental and cultural history of Black Bottom and Paradise Valley. The purpose is to expand and diversify community participation and engagement on the I-375 Reconnecting Communities Project. This event will create opportunities for descendants and former residents of Black Bottom and Paradise Valley to share their memories and experiences.  

 

                                   

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