It's a different kind of road trip this week, as we learn all about the Juneteenth holiday and talk with a variety of guests about different places around Michigan that hold special significance for African American history and culture. Juneteenth marks the final emancipation of slaves during the Civil War, on June 19 in Galveston Texas. Today, it is a day of celebration and education.

We kick off the show with Chris Grier, who shares with us both the history and significance of the Juneteenth holiday. Grier is the historian for Idlewild, located near Baldwin, and known as the "Black Eden of Michigan. He was both born and raised at this special spot, and his grandfather was one of the founding members. We discuss the importance of Idelwild to it's members, and to the community as a whole. We also discuss how a certain movie brought attention to Idelwild's history, but also completely got the location wrong. Idlewild is in Michigan, not Georgia!

Then, we meet with Cynthia Jones, who is the Director of Museum Experiences at The Henry Ford in Dearborn. Did you know that the bus that Rosa Parks sat down in and helped galvanize the Civil Rights Movement is right here? You can even climb on to experience history firsthand. We talk about why items of cultural significance are so important, and how The Henry Ford has integrated it into their exhibit "With Liberty and Justice for All".

Annie Kelly from the Calhoun County Visitors Bureau stops by and we discuss the long history the Underground Railroad had in this part of Michigan. Known as a safe stop for escaped slaves, usually on their journey to Canada and freedom, Calhoun County, which includes Battle Creek, Marshall and Albion, now boasts several tributes to this time in history. We talk about the Underground Railroad memorial that you can experience here, as well as a 12-foot-tall statue of activist Sojourner Truth, who ended up calling Battle Creek her home for the last decades of her life.

We close out this special show with Dr. David Pilgrim of Ferris State University.  He is one of this country's leading experts on issues relating to multiculturalism, diversity, and race relations, and is the founder and curator of the Jim Crow Museum. The museum uses objects of intolerance to teach tolerance and promote social justice and has over 20,000 artifacts. It's a difficult topic, but one that is very important to study and learn from. Dr. Pilgrim has personally collected most of the collection and has developed a traveling exhibit so more people can experience it. He is also working on a permanent spot to house the collection on Ferris' campus. 


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