Author: Robert Creenan
On Saturday, February 27, at the Michigan Street Baptist Church (511 Michigan Street), the public and interested volunteers are invited to learn more about the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor.
The corridor, located on the East Side of Buffalo, was identified as a critical spiritual and human rights passageway, both locally and within the national context.
The corridor was a key location for activists and thinkers during the Abolitionist period and the Civil Rights Movement. It was a melting pot for immigrants coming into Buffalo during the 1800’s and in the early 1900’s.
Also known as a cultural hot spot for jazz, today the corridor is home to important cultural institutions such as The Nash House, the Colored Musicians Club, The Michigan Street Baptist Church (lead image) and WUFO 1080AM. It has been designated one of only twenty-one Heritage Corridors by the New York State Legislature.
In honor of the 2016 theme for African American History Month, Hallowed Grounds: Sites of African American Memories, the Corridor Commission is launching a “Friend-raising Campaign”. The Friends of the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor will focus on advocacy, funding, volunteering, docent training, beautification and community engagement to support initiatives within the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor, to make it a more desirable place to live, work and visit. The Friends will work in collaboration with the Corridor Commission and its stakeholders, to connect area residents and supporters with various projects (including the construction of an archway over the street) that are being planned for the Corridor.
At 2pm on that Saturday there will be free tours, a talk by Buffalo State historian Dr. Peraza (Suing the Master: Slave Litigation in 18th Century Louisiana), refreshments, Corridor updates and information provided on the Friends and the group’s upcoming programs.