This lecture, led by Dr. Richard D. Benson II, Inaugural Director of the Detroit Center for Black Studies, will be hosted at the Detroit Center for Black Studies on Wayne State University’s campus. The Center is located in the Faculty Administration Building (FAB) at 656 W. Kirby Street, Suite 1001, Detroit, MI 48202. Please join us prior to the lecture for light refreshments. Parking will be provided for guests who RSVP.

“UpSouth in the Motor City” explores how Black communities in Detroit and other northern cities organized for freedom and equality. The lecture highlights Detroit’s role as the “Arsenal of Democracy,”the city’s contributions to the historic Montgomery Bus Boycott, and the vital role of Black labor in shaping Detroit’s industrial and political life. It also demonstrates how these struggles helped shape the broader Black Freedom Movement.

The Detroit Center for Black Studies at Wayne State University is a hub for dialogue, learning, and public engagement focused on Black life, history, culture, and thought in Detroit and beyond. Under the leadership of inaugural director Dr. Richard D. Benson II, the Center supports interdisciplinary learning and community connection while creating opportunities for students, faculty, and the public to engage with the rich traditions and contemporary significance of Black Studies.