By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com


A local library is using grant funding to host a traveling exhibit and put on several online events promoting diversity.

The Salem-South Lyon District Library was one of only 50 institutions in the nation that was selected for a $1,200 Lift Every Voice programming grant. The library is using that grant funding to host a traveling exhibit from the Michigan State University Museum, titled “Welcome to Idlewild: The Black Eden of Michigan.” Attendees will be able to explore stories behind the once popular summer resort’s booming entertainment scene in which scores of black-owned businesses prospered.

In addition to the exhibit, the library is also hosting several virtual programs around the theme of African American arts, artists, and advancement. The first such event is scheduled for Friday, January 15th, when poet M.L. Lieber will be joined with guests from across the country to share stories and songs from his latest book, which focuses on lyricists from the Detroit music scene. Future events are planned in partnership with the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Library of Michigan, and will run through mid-February.

The library has also received the book African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle and Song. The book is a collection of 250 poems spanning the colonial period to the present, has been recognized on several “Best of 2020” lists, and is available for check out with a valid library card.

For more information on all the events, and to register for the virtual programs, visit their website, www.ssldl.info.