Author Gerald VanDusen will discuss his latest book, Detroit's Birwood Wall, a 2020 Michigan Notable Book.

In 1941, a real estate developer in northwest Detroit faced a dilemma. He needed federal financing for white clients purchasing lots in a new subdivision abutting a community of mostly African Americans. When the banks deemed the development too risky because of racial tension, the developer proposed a solution. He built a six-foot-tall, one-foot-thick concrete barrier extending from Eight Mile Road south for three city blocks--the infamous Birwood Wall. From his extensive research and archival sources, author Gerald Van Dusen gives us the history of this isolated black enclave that persevered through all manner of racial barriers and transformed a symbol of discrimination into an expression of hope and perseverance.

Join us virtually for his fascinating presentation via Zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83359093987?pwd=a2ZiVmpaN3l2a3Q1TE5Zc3Azazc4QT09

Meeting ID: 833 5909 3987
Passcode: 740811