Black history is under constant threat of erasure, and right now, the power to protect it is in our hands.
The Southeast Michigan Public Historical Museum Authority Proposal on the Nov. 3 ballot for Wayne and Oakland counties is a critical, life-or-death mandate to defend and sustain the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, alongside the Detroit Historical and Dossin Great Lakes museums. This proposal goes well beyond the run-of-the-mill tax measure.
The proposal is asking homeowners for a modest assessment of 0.2 mill. To put this in everyday terms, that equals just 20 cents per $1,000 of taxable home value, or roughly $30 per year for a home with a market value of $300,000. It is a negligible price to pay to secure the unapologetic truth of the Black experience and keep The Wright’s doors open.
Without this dedicated funding, the survival of these institutions is in grave jeopardy. For years, The Wright has survived on razor-thin margins, forcing leadership to perform financial miracles just to keep the lights on while safeguarding our priceless archives. Passing this 10-year millage is a matter of cultural survival. It provides the stabilizing revenue necessary to protect our artifacts from ruin, maintain daily operations, and ensure that this sanctuary of Black excellence stands strong for the next decade.
To secure this survival, The Wright forged a highly strategic and necessary alliance with the Detroit Historical Society. We have to speak the plain truth about the political and social realities of our region: extracting a standalone, dedicated tax millage across suburban county lines solely to fund Black history is a nearly impossible task in today’s climate. By joining forces, they built a coalition that demands broader regional investment, forcing the electorate to acknowledge the undeniable fact that Black history is the foundational engine of Southeast Michigan’s broader story. They can’t have one without the other.
This museum is our own. It was conceived, funded, and built by Black Detroiters. When Dr. Charles H. Wright founded it in 1965, it was a radical act of self-preservation. Grassroots organizers and everyday citizens demanded that our stories be told, transforming a humble West Grand Boulevard row house into the majestic 120,000-square-foot Midtown institution we have today. We have to fiercely defend what our elders built and we can’t allow their visionary work to be lost on our watch.
Beyond pure survival, this millage ensures our children are never priced out of their own heritage. In exchange for this public investment, residents of Wayne and Oakland counties will receive free general admission to all three museums, completely removing financial barriers. The revenue also funds essential K-12 field trips and senior transportation, guaranteeing our youth can see their reflection in world-class educational spaces. Additionally, to satisfy the regional partnership, 15% of the net funds collected within Oakland County will be distributed directly to support its own local historical museums.
When you look at your ballot on Election Day, look for the SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN PUBLIC HISTORICAL MUSEUM AUTHORITY MILLAGE PROPOSAL. The core actionable language simply asks:
“Shall a 0.2 mill tax on all taxable property located within Wayne County and Oakland County be imposed by the Authority for a period of ten (10) years, being years 2026 through 2035, inclusive, to provide historical museum services for the benefit of the residents of the Counties?”
We’re on the precipice of losing a cornerstone of our culture if this funding initiative falls. The Michigan Chronicle Editorial Board urgently calls on voters in Wayne and Oakland counties to vote YES on the Southeast Michigan Public Historical Museum Authority Millage Proposal on Nov. 3. Let’s protect our own, defend our legacy, and ensure our history continues to be told on our own terms, because we already know how easy it is for our stories to be re-written through the eyes of folks who don’t live our truths and our experiences.