Carolyn Williams was Kalamazoo’s first African American female judge! The Merze Tate Explorers honors her in their Your Turn: African American Women of Kalamazoo activity book series and a mini-doc project. The efforts of the nonprofit are supported in part by the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, Public Media Network, and the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo!
Abbey Lincoln made history as an African American actress nominated for a Golden Globe. This Kalamazoo Central graduate has made local history. Her journey is inspiring to the Explorers who have met her. Lincoln is just one of 16 women of Kalamazoo, Michigan featured in the coloring book, Your Turn: African American Women of Kalamazoo.
In honor of African American women who have made history in our communities and beyond. Their Your Turn: African American Women of Kalamazoo activity book features 16 local women in history. This multi-media project allowed Explorers to continue their media training during the Covid-19 pandemic. The project was made possible through the grants provided by
The Explorers created 16 mini-documentaries on African American women in Kalamazoo History. Learn how a teenage girl became the lead singer in a Motown recording group! Explorers Cienna Hobson and Sasha Hollins bring their story to life!
In partnership with Albion artist Jerome Washington, the students created 2-minute documentaries on the women based on research. The students used editing to bring their voices together with images of women who broke glass ceilings in areas of Education, Medicine, and Entertainment. The multimedia project will be released on September 7th. Local organizations also came