Voices of Civil Rights Bus Tour Visits Detroit
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2004-10-19 15:43:00-04:00
The struggle for civil rights past and present was recalled when the Voices of Civil Rights national bus tour visited Detroit on Sept. 30 at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.
The visit, the only Michigan stop on the tour, was part of the Voices of Civil Rights project, a multifaceted effort to build the world's largest archive of civil rights stories for placement in the Library of Congress.
The highlight of the visit was a moving and entertaining program in the museum presented to a packed auditorium. Among the speakers was AARP Michigan State President Dr. George Rowan.
"This program was established because knowledge of our history is not just important—it is vital if we are going to avoid the mistakes of the past and take full advantage of our future opportunities," said Dr. Rowan. "History is a road map to where we have been, and where we want to go. Without an understanding of that map, without our history, we are truly lost."
Those visiting the bus tour were able to record their own memories of the civil rights struggle at an interactive "Digital Front Porch" reminiscent of the community gathering places of days gone by.
The History Channel was also on the tour to record the events for a one-hour documentary, scheduled to air in February 2005.
For more information, visit the Voices of Civil Rights Web site which includes a searchable archive of personal stories, articles on contemporary civil rights issues, and project updates. Leave your legacy and be part of history. Submit your story online or send your letter in 500 words or less to:
Voices of Civil Rights
601 E Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20049
Contact AARP Michigan via email or by phone toll free at 1-866-227-7448.
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