Cast of Dr. Sweet's Tinderbox at the Wright Museum after the January 14 performance
Over 400 people gathered at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History on January 14th for “Dr. Sweet’s Tinderbox,” a dramatization written by local playwright Brenda Perryman based on the book “Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age,” by Kevin Boyle, historian and native of Detroiter.
“Arc of Justice” tells the story of African American Dr. Ossian Sweet and the chain of events that occurred after he purchased a home for his family in an all-white Detroit neighborhood in 1925.
The event was presented at the Wright Museum as part of The Michigan Humanities Councils annual Great Michigan Read book tour for the award winning book. The Michigan Humanities Council is a private, nonprofit organization created to foster a better understanding of each other and our state through local cultural, historical and literary experiences for all. The Great Michigan Read is Michigan Humanities Council’s statewide humanities initiative inviting Michiganians to read and participate in book discussions and events in their hometowns.
“It is a perfect opportunity to expand our conversation on justice and human rights,” said Juanita Moore, President and CEO of the Wright Museum. “Partnering with the Michigan Humanities Council to present this significant discussion on civil rights and The Sweet Trials to the community is exactly the kind of meaningful programming we strive to offer.”
“This is a very important story in Detroit’s history,” said Brenda Perryman. Perryman said she was honored to be asked by Robert Smith, Vice President of Education at the Wright Museum to write this play based on Boyle’s book. “People have sacrificed a lot so that we can navigate freely in the Detroit and Dr. Sweet’s story is a part of that sacrifice. Without the sacrifice of our ancestors we would not be able to do certain things.”
The book took a historical look at inequities in housing rights, described the Black Bottom neighboorh in the 1920′s, and evolution of Detroit suburbs as a result of these unfair housing practices. By telling this story, Boyle illuminates other historical issues, including the building blocks of the civil rights movement, the Great Migration of African Americans to the north, the social and political climate of the 1920s and the boomtown years of Detroit.
The event also included poetry performances by youth from InsideOut Literary Arts and a panel discussion moderated by Wayne State University Law professor Jocelyn Benson with students, community leaders, lawyers and elected officials including Congressman John Conyers. Content for discussion was developed by the students of the Detroit Urban Debate League.
“I think it was a strong outcome, I was really impressed with the realism of the event and how the audience interacted,” said Mike Fannon, Executive Office Intern at the Wright Museum.
The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and the Michigan Humanities Council will host an encore performance of Perryman’s widely received dramatization, “Dr. Sweet’s Tinderbox”, based on the 2011-12 Great Michigan Read book selection, “Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights and Murder in the Jazz Age,” on Wednesday, February 22, at 7:00 pm at the museum.
Also featured at the Wright Museum in February is, We Don’t Want Them, the traveling exhibit of the Great Michigan Read in partnership with the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity & Inclusion. According to the Michigan Humanties Council,We Don’t Want Them, places the events documented in “Arc of Justice” in a broader context of policies and practices that limited where some could live, thus impacting their past and present quality of life. The exhibit acts as a powerful backdrop for local dialogue on issues of segregation, discrimination and tolerance.
For more information, call The Wright museum at (313) 494-5800.
