Jamon Jordan, Detroit’s first official City Historian, will present his fourth annual Black History Month Lecture alongside renowned pianist Alvin Waddles at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.

The event will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, February 20, 2026 in the museum’s General Motors Theatre.

Waddles returns this year to join Jordan for an evening that blends history, music and reflection.

The program, entitled “Let Our Motto Be Resistance!” will explore the long and powerful tradition of African American resistance in Detroit and across the nation. From the 1700s to the present, African Americans have fought economic inequality, political disenfranchisement and attacks on self-determination using many strategies, such as boycotts and marches, as well as armed self-defense and organized political struggle.

This event marks the fourth annual Black History Month Lecture presented annually by the City of Detroit Office of Arts, Culture and Entrepreneurship, which houses the City Historian, Poet Laureate, and Composer Laureate and continues its partnership between Detroit ACE and the Wright Museum.

“It has never been more vital for us to learn and understand history than now,” said Lacey Holmes of Detroit ACE.

“Black History is not simply something we remember it is something we live, carry, and activate”, said Lance Wheeler of the Wright Museum.  “Understanding our history is essential to understanding resistance, imagination, and possibility. At the Wright Museum, we are committed to creating space where stories of struggle and self-determination are honored not as the past, but as a living call to shape our collective future.”

Jordan will recount the people, places and defining events that shaped Detroit into a community of freedom fighters and  discuss how this history offers critical lessons as the nation faces renewed challenges to civil rights, educational access, economic equity and political power.

“Today, hard-won gains are under assault—from voting rights to college access and diversity initiatives,” Jordan said. “Detroit’s history reminds us that resistance is not new and that our community has always met injustice with organization, courage and vision.”

Event details:

6 p.m. Friday, February 20, 2026.

General Motors Theatre at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

315 E. Warren Ave., Detroit

The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required at: DetroitHistorianBHMlecture.eventbrite.com.

About Jamon Jordan

Jamon Jordan has served Detroit residents and visitors for decades as the founder of Black Scroll Network, a company that offers historic tours across the city. His work highlights the central role Black and Indigenous people played in Detroit’s development and continues to connect the city’s past to its present and future. He has been City Historian since 2021.

About Alvin Waddles

Alvin Waddles is a Detroit-born pianist, singer, composer and director who has delighted audiences around the world with his dazzling technique, fluid versatility and deep musical roots. A graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy and the University of Michigan School of Music, Waddles has served as musical director, educator and performer across genres including jazz, gospel, classical, and musical theatre.

About Detroit ACE

Detroit ACE partners with organizations across the region to enhance and grow investment in the fine and performing arts, culture and history, with a special focus on artistic entrepreneurship and support for Detroit’s creative workforce.