The Black Bottom | Black Legacy Festival is an intergenerational celebration of Black Detroit storytelling, honoring the legacy of historic neighborhoods like Black Bottom and Paradise Valley while uplifting the voices preserving Detroit’s future. Held at the Charles H. Wright Museum on August 15–16, 2026, this two-day hybrid festival marks the debut of seven new Black Detroit community archives created by our Preserving Black Legacy fellows.
Through workshops, presentations, art activations, and performances, the festival brings together community members, artists, archivists, and storytellers to celebrate Black Detroit’s past, present, and future.
Date: August 15-16, 2026
Location: Charles H. Wright Museum ( 315 E Warren Ave, Detroit, MI 48201)
Cost: Free (Donations and sponsors are welcome)
Festival activities include:
Fellows present their archival projects, each rooted in a Detroit neighborhood
Community workshops on oral history, archiving, and storytelling
In-person/virtual panel discussions centered on Black storytelling traditions with fellows, storytellers, archivists, and community leaders
Indoor/outdoor performances featuring Detroit musicians, poets, and dancers
Dedicated family-friendly gathering spaces
Preserve the Past
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Document the Now
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Create the Future
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Preserve the Past ✳︎ Document the Now ✳︎ Create the Future ✳︎
“With today's increased attention to Detroit's storied past and its Black History, the ever-thriving Lafayette Park, and the attention garnered by the 1-375 project, The Black Bottom Legacy Festival will be a community celebration of Detroit's past, present and future so important, for such a time as this.”
- Marsha Battle Philpot