Black History

Learn more about Holland Park Transformation and other Black History in this section

Posts about History Hill at Holland Park

See posts about History Hill below

Walk the Trails Near Albion!

August 25, 2020 No Comments

Labor Day Albion – Walk the River Trail – has been a popular event for a decade. Albion is becoming known as a “hub of

Celebrating Albion’s preserver of its African-American history

January 26, 2020 No Comments

Black History Month Series: Part 1 By MICHELLE MUELLER Contributing Writer ©The Recorder February 6, 2015 During his almost 30-year teaching career at Albion

Labor Day Albion – Holland Park

September 3, 2019 No Comments

Labor Day Albion 2019 – Walk the Trail included an educational segment in Holland Park. Dr. Wes Dick, Albion College professor of history,

Albion River Trail

August 19, 2019 No Comments

Click the photo above to see the photos from Labor Day Albion 2019 – Walk the Trail. Labor Day Albion – Walk the Trail takes

Labor Day Albion – Tour of History Hill in Holland Park

February 21, 2019 No Comments

In 2018, Albion Health Care Alliance partnered with Albion Recreation Department for the Labor Day Albion – Walk the Trail event. Larry Williams, of the

History Hill at Holland Park

November 26, 2016 No Comments

The public was invited to the grand opening of the newly installed West Ward School History panels in Holland Park at on Saturday, Aug. 13th

Holland Park Transformation begins

An map of Holland Park from 1997 shows its location on the west side of Albion Michigan.

Holland Park is the site of the former West Ward School in Albion Michigan. This photo from early 2015 shows a tour of what existed at this site then.

City Council person Lenn Reid and others toured the playground equipment.

Historian Leslie Dick and City Council person Lenn Reid are among those who started a campaign to raise funds to transform Holland Park.

Holland Park was a favorite spot for its basketball courts. On the building next to the courts was a mural by Jerome Washington.

The mural by Jerome Washington had portraits of notable school teachers at West Ward School.

A marker at Holland Park tells the story of the segregated school that once stood at this spot.

Leslie Dick and Lenn Reid were active in their involvement to make the transformation project happen.

Presentations were made to City Council and to potential funders to provide a better playground, and more at Holland Park.

A sign at Holland Park that shows it is one of Albion’s large network of public parks.

Part of the process to raise funds for the Holland Park project was to increase public awareness at the Festival of the Forks.

The planners visited the park often to see what was there and needed to be updated or replaced.

Brainstorming sessions involved City Hall and community members.

Albion Youth helped to make presentations of the photos of the park and activities that take place there.

Presentations were made at area churches.

Meetings with key community members took place at City Hall. Here Harry Bonner helps with the strategic planning.

Holland Park Work Day 2017

The work begins on the new playground equipment for Holland Park

Special equipment was installed for different age groups

The new equipment is safer and sturdy

Two of the helpers of the installataion day were City Manager Dr. Sherly MItchell, and Harry Bonner, Director of Substance Abuse Prevention Albion

Some of the volunteers pose for a photo

There was time left for a walk on the nearby Albion River Trail after the work day

Articles about Black History in Albion

Underground Railroad Quilts Told Stories

Labor Day Albion 2021 – Walk the River Trail

Delayed Juneteenth festivities in Albion were enjoyed indoors the following Saturday

The Melting Pot Club – 1968

170 Years of African Americans in Albion Michigan – video

NAACP President Addresses Racism in the Community

Juneteenth Celebration in Albion

The black-white divide continues in coronavirus deaths

How one Albion man is making a difference: Sewing face masks to help people feel better

Data shows that African Americans are dying from COVID-19 at a higher rate

Dr. Marcy Sacks Gives Lecture to Albion Area Lifelong Learners

Robert Wall gives Black History Month talk at AAUW meeting

Albion’s Suicide Prevention Coalition begins its work

A poem about Albion by Robert Holland, Jr. changes history

A MHS report card: trying to change the future by broadening Black History curriculum 2018

MLK Jr. Convocation brings messages of history, hope, and celebration to Albion

Escape to Canada – 1863

Labor Day Albion Walk the Trail – Albion Michigan 2019

Entire Albion community mourns

In their Jackets

Valarie Cunningham encourages breaking the stigma on African-American mental health

Mr. Bonner – The Story of a Mentoring Journey

Mother’s Day in Albion

Mother’s Day History

Albion has a long history of celebrating and cultivating Black lives. Prior to the Great Migration beginning in 1916, the community had a very small population of Black Americans.

Since recruiting Black men from the south to work in the city’s industries, Black families have come to settle in Albion. Now the small town’s population has grown to be home to approximately 30% African American residents.

During the last 100+ years, Albion has stood out for its strength as a hub for civil rights leaders and social justice activists. Its residents often compare the community to a big family – one that can disagree and still remain by each other’s side, particularly in times of need.

Albion was the home of three Tuskegee Airmen, a rare achievement for a city this size.

Strenuous challenges have impacted the city of Albion; once a thriving industrial town, the closing of businesses, the local hospital, and the public school district have caused many residents to leave also.

Those who remain in Albion are concerned about the city’s future; while many are still coming together to envision what is possible amidst such great loss, many others feel a sense of mistrust too great to risk further pain.

When considering a key component of Albion’s Black History, let us remember some of the most incredible leaders who have come and imparted their wisdom. Among many trailblazers who have given back to the community, Albion’s anchor institutions have hosted the following luminaries:

Muhammad Ali
Maya Angelou
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
Malcolm X
Malcolm X’s daughter Ilyasah Shabazz
Diane Nash
Desmund Tutu (1993 Honorary Doctorate)

What is more, the graduates of Albion Public Schools have also gone on to achieve greatness in every arena you can imagine. As with all of the information on AlbionMich.net, the content of the Black History page will continue to grow to paint the more full and rich picture of Albion that it deserves.

The best information about Black History in Albion can be found on the new website: http://albionwestward.net/

For now, please see below the articles and webpages that Albion residents have created to tell vital stories that are far too often overlooked in American society.