University Liggett School to host Black Bottom Street View exhibit

The Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL) is bringing the Black Bottom Street View exhibit to University Liggett School.

Black Bottom was once a thriving neighborhood in Detroit and considered by many to be the city’s epicenter of African American culture. The construction of the Chrysler Freeway in the 1950s leveled the neighborhood, essentially erasing it from the map.

• The exhibit will be on display in University Liggett School’s Boll Campus Center from May 13-June 2, 2022.
• Reservations are required to view the exhibit.
• Contact CITL at citl@uls.net to schedule a group or school field trip to the exhibit.

The Black Bottom neighborhood is being brought back to life through the Black Bottom Street View exhibit, created by Black Bottom Archives, a community-driven media platform dedicated to centering and amplifying the voices, experiences, and perspectives of Black Detroiters. Using a series of photos and custom displays, the exhibit creates a panoramic view of Black Bottom that visitors can walkthrough. The photos come from the Burton Historic Collection at the Detroit Public Library, which were taken from 1949-1950 by the City of Detroit as part of the eminent domain process. They show a snapshot of life in Black Bottom right before it was demolished.