Latest news with #JamonJordan
Axios
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Honoring Juneteenth in Detroit in 2025
Detroit is honoring Juneteenth this year with community events blending history, art, sports and even rodeo. The big picture: Juneteenth commemorates the day when enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free 2 ½ years after the passing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Celebrations have continued to grow nationwide since it became a federal holiday in 2021, amid a backlash on civil rights and discussions on racism. Zoom in: Detroit Public Library locations are closed Thursday, but the branches have more than 20 events throughout the week, including: Midwest Invitational Rodeo — a Black cowboy and cowgirl organization — will appear Wednesday in a 3:30-7pm event at the Main Library. At the same time, the Main Library will also host a presentation on Detroit's historic jazz clubs and other Black-owned businesses. Alnur African Dance Company workshop at the Elmwood Park Branch, Friday 4-5pm. Plus, crafts at several branches, including Wilder and Redford. The Wright Museum of African American History will host a whole day of Juneteenth programming on Thursday, honoring it as "not only a celebration of freedom but also a day of reflection, learning, and recommitment to justice," per its website. Activities include: An educational treasure hunt. Silent disco yoga. Creative workshops exploring how art promotes healing and freedom. A panel with city historian Jamon Jordan about the last known ship carrying enslaved people, featuring descendants of passengers sharing their inherited stories and significance in contemporary issues. Hart Plaza is busy on Thursday, with a block party 12-5pm featuring the brand Detroit Vs. Everybody, plus music and games. Tickets: $18. The Hart of Detroit Summer Festival concert then starts at 6pm, with Icewear Vezzo, Peezy, Babyface Ray and more. Tickets: $45 — but there's also a two-for-one deal. The fourth annual Hamtramck Stadium celebration features a home run derby and a speech from Dale Hale, grandson of Eulyn "Red" Hale of the Detroit Stars, a baseball team in the Negro Leagues.
CBS News
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Historian Jamon Jordan on the legacy of Black Detroit: "I'm Just Telling Their Story"
(CBS DETROIT) — As Black History Month begins, Detroit's rich legacy of Black excellence, resilience, and innovation takes center stage. And who better to guide us through that history than the city's official historian, Jamon Jordan? For Jordan, history isn't just a passion — it's a calling. "Black history, African history, world history, I've always loved history," Jordan told CBS News Detroit. That love for history eventually led him to share his knowledge with others. "My students were Detroiters, and I felt that I'm cheating them if I teach them about all these other histories and I don't teach them about Detroit," he said. A native Detroiter, Jordan spent a decade teaching middle school social studies, but when he incorporated Detroit's history into his curriculum, he quickly realized it wasn't just his students who wanted to learn more. "Many of their parents who would go on field trips with the students would say, 'Hey, you mean I've been living around the corner from that historic site, and that happened?'" Jordan said. That curiosity sparked something bigger. In 2013, he launched the Black Scroll Network, History and Tours, leading guided tours that highlight Detroit's deep-rooted Black history while shifting the way it's taught and understood. "Black people have been taught in America, for the most part, that their history begins when someone else does something to them," Jordan said. "Black people are actors. They're subjects, they do things, and those things are important—not just the things that happen to them," he continued. For a city where nearly 80% of the population is Black, Jordan says understanding that history is essential. From Detroit's role as a major stop on the Underground Railroad to its legacy as a thriving Black economic and residential hub — places like Black Bottom and Paradise Valley hold powerful stories that shaped the city's culture. "We're standing at a site where so much history happened, but we can't see that history, except in the legacy that it created," Jordan said. "We see it when we listen to Motown, when we listen to jazz musicians, when we walk through the city." Now, as Detroit's first official historian, Jordan is making sure those stories aren't just preserved — but celebrated. "The people who are the heroes, sheroes, and great ones — the great people, places, and events that have happened in Detroit—did a lot of work. I'm just telling their story," he said. Along with leading tours, Jordan also teaches a course at the University of Michigan as part of its Semester in Detroit program. The class, "From the Underground to Motown: A Course on Detroit's History," offers a deep dive into the city's past. For Jordan, the work is personal. "I see this Detroit culture. I see Black Bottom; I see Paradise Valley. I see all the things that have helped make Detroit what it is," he said.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'More Than Motown' Black History Month lecture will explore Detroit's rich musical legacy
Detroit's dazzling musical history will be brought into focus this weekend when City Historian Jamon Jordan delivers his third annual City Black History Month Lecture at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2, at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. Titled 'More Than Motown: Detroit's Impact on All Music,' the program will span multiple genres, with Jordan accompanied by renowned pianist Alvin Waddles. 'I'm going to be talking the history of Detroit's role in the creation of so many different forms of music,' said Jordan, 'from spirituals and gospel to the blues, soul music, even rock and roll and of course the Motown sound. But the center of Detroit's role in the production of music was really jazz. Whether we're talking about big band or bebop, it's going to be a major part of the presentation — although we'll be talking about all these other forms, from Aretha Franklin and Berry Gordy, Jr. to Paradise Valley and Black Bottom musicians, all the way up through the techno and hip-hop performers. 'Detroit was so intricately involved in the production of so much music that some people know nothing about. Many people know about Motown. But outside of Motown, people (often) don't understand Detroit's role in both popular music and some of the other genres that may not have been as popular, but are very important.' More: Documentary debuting at Freep Film Fest explores Detroit as powerhouse of musical culture See also: Beloved Luther Vandross documentary finally at theaters, also airing on OWN in February Wright Museum president and CEO Neil A. Barclay said the institution is proud to host the event. "We look forward to kicking off Black History Month with this program and partnership," said Barclay. 'Particularly through such challenging times, Jamon Jordan is an important voice who provides critical historical facts and also the connection of how our past impacts our present and future." Rochelle Riley, director of the city's office of Arts, Culture and Entrepreneurship, seconded Barclay's praise. 'I've visited 28 countries and could stop on any street corner and start singing a Motown song and someone would join me,' she said. 'Techno, jazz, rock and roll, hip-hop — Detroit has been at the forefront of all of it, so it's time we own our city's excellence. No one is better able to tell that story than Jamon. And no one is better to show that story than Alvin Waddles, who has offered brilliance around the world for decades.' Jordan called Detroit 'a music center' that should be recognized nationally and internationally for its contributions. 'Everyone knows New Orleans as a music center,' he said. 'Everyone knows New York and Los Angeles, and some people even know Chicago and St. Louis as music centers; everybody knows Memphis. Well, Detroit is one, too. I'm not taking anything away from all those other places, but Detroit is just as important. 'There are a few reasons why we don't get the acclaim that we should. For instance, Motown is so big that it overshadowed Detroit's role in other forms of music. You can't really talk about jazz without talking about Detroit. You can't talk about gospel without talking about the city of Detroit. You can't talk about techno, for sure, which started in Detroit. And you can't talk about blues and funk music without talking about Detroit. I'm going to raise the consciousness about how Detroit is as important in all these other forms as we are with Motown.' Jordan's Black History Month lecture will be held at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History (315 E. Warren Ave.) T 2 p.m Sunday, Feb. 2. The event is free, but registration is required. Register and find more information at Contact Free Press arts and culture reporter Duante Beddingfield at dbeddingfield@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 'More Than Motown' event will explore Detroit's rich musical legacy
