The Metro: Black Bottom Archives continues to grow its storytelling community
Director of Community Engagement and Programs Lex Draper Garcia Bey joins the show to talk about the Preserving Black Legacy Fellowship and the “From the Bottom, Up” exhibition currently on display at the Detroit Historical Museum.
A view of St. Antoine Street at Winder near Detroit's Black Bottom neighborhood. In view are a number of residential buildings, as well as Abe's Market.
The preservation of history doesn’t belong only to institutions, it lives in the hands, voices and memories of everyday people. In Detroit, a new generation of community historians is stepping forward.
Through oral histories, archival research, and creative storytelling, Black Bottom Archives’ Preserving Black Legacy Fellowship, builds living records of Detroit’s footprint. The year-long program trains Black Detroiters to document, preserve, and share the stories rooted in their own neighborhoods.
All of the fellows’ work will culminate in a public exhibit and a festival in 2026 celebrating Black Detroit history.
Lex Draper Garcia Bey is Director of Community Engagement and Programs for Black Bottom Archives.
We begin the conversation talking about “From the Bottom, Up,” an exhibition by Black Bottom Archives on display at the Detroit Historical Society. It’s guided by the principle of Sankofa: “go back and get it.” Its closing ceremony is April 5 at the museum.
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