Third Thursday Speaker Series: Detroit's Birwood Wall

Our popular Third Thursday Speaker Series continues this spring at the Detroit Historical Museum. Attendance is free, but pre-registration is encouraged, as space is limited. To register for a presentation, please contact Charnae Sanders, Public Programs Coordinator, at 313.833.0277 or charnaes@detroithistorical.org.

Detroit’s Birwood Wall
by Jeffrey T. Horner
Thursday , May 17, 6–8 p.m.

The Birwood Wall – also referred to as 8 Mile Wall, the Wailing Wall and Detroit’s Berlin Wall – continues to stand today. When it was constructed in the 1940s, it was intended serve as a physical barrier between black and white homeowners and remains as an enduring representation of racial segregation. Mr. Jeffrey T. Horner, of the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at Wayne State University, will be one of the key presenters for the discussion of this infamous landmark. He will explore the historical aspects of the wall, why it was built and other then-prevalent forms of housing discrimination practiced against African Americans throughout the city of Detroit.