Detroit: Black Bottom & Paradise Valley

This tour is SOLD OUT! Watch for more African American Perspectives tours in the spring.

The Detroit Historical Museum is thrilled to present a series of tours focused on the history, experiences and enduring influence
of African Americans in Detroit. There will be a total of eight tours with different focuses available. Jamon Jordan, founder of
the Black Scroll Network, will be the tour guide for this series. 

Detroit: Black Bottom & Paradise Valley

Black Bottom was a 67-block area in the lower east side of Detroit that was originally named not after the race of the residents, but the rich dark soil in the area. North of Black Bottom was Paradise Valley, which was primarily a business and entertainment district with hotels, clubs, restaurants and theaters. By the 1920s, there were over 300 Black-owned businesses in Detroit, many of them concentrated in the Paradise Valley area. Learn about its 5-star Black-owned hotel, how African Americans took over Orchestra Hall, the role played by Prohibition and illegal lotteries and how these historic Black neighborhoods were utlimately destroyed by government policies.

$15 per person, per tour. Register early! There will only be 25 tickets available for each tour.