The Book

Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age is a masterful recounting of a landmark historical event, culminating in an epic legal battle that helped lay the foundation of the civil rights movement. In 1925, African American physician Ossian Sweet purchased a home in a white neighborhood in Detroit. Determined to protect his family and property, Sweet chose to defend himself from the mob organized to drive him out. Arc of Justice provides essential historical background as Americans continue to confront issues of tolerance and equality.

The Author

Kevin Boyle was born in Detroit in 1960. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Detroit Mercy and his doctorate from the University of Michigan. Currently, Boyle is a professor of history at Ohio State University in Columbus. Arc of Justice won the National Book Award in 2004 and was named a Michigan Notable Book in 2005. It was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Boyle has been awarded fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Fulbright Commission and the National Endowment for the Humanities. He has written or edited three other books and numerous articles.

Events

Presenting Alberta Adams - Queen of the Detroit Blues Scene
Sunday, January 29 at 2pm.
Library, Main Level
Enjoy real old school music as 94 year-old Alberta Adams, the RJ Spangler Trio, and special guest Larry Smith perform.
Sponsored by:

Celebrate the Great Michigan Read
Friday, February 3 at 7pm.
At the Howell Opera House - $7 at the door
Pick up reader's guides, bookmarks, & schedule of events while enjoying the musical talents of Jan Krist and Kitty Donohoe at the Acoustic Cafe.

Book Discussion
Wednesday, February 15 at 7pm.
Library, Conference Room
Talk with others about the book.

Roots of Music: Origins of the Motown Sound
Monday, February 27 at 7pm.
Library, Meabon Room
Detroit is known the world over for the music that came out of a small studio on West Grand Boulevard during the 1960s and 1970s. But the Motown Sound wasn't born from thin air. It had its roots in other music that was being made in Detroit and around the country in the years before the company's founding in 1959. This presentation delves into the city's history of music making, and the elements that contributed to the unique stylings of Motown and Tamla Records.

Sponsored by:

About the Great Michigan Read
The Great Michigan Read is a fee, statewide humanities initiative inviting Michiganians to read and participate in book discussions and events in their hometowns.