Bentley Historical Library

News Stories

  • Newspaper articles pasted into a scrapbook page.

    Teaching Black History

    An adult-education class brought Black history to life in a Depression-era Ann Arbor classroom. Newspaper clippings pasted inside a scrapbook showcase the excellence of Black Americans.

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  • Dictionary page for the word "reparative"

    Language Lessons

    What do you do when the descriptions of archival collections are outdated, even racist? A new initiative at the Bentley is tackling a strategic, long-term fix.

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  • Thousands of Ann Arbor Photos

    Historical photos of Ann Arbor and surrounding communities are now available digitally as part of the Bentley Historical Library’s contribution to the Ann Arbor Bicentennial.

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  • Black and white image of an African American man wearing a suit and tie

    The Business of the Hour

    Belford Lawson’s work as a lawyer and activist changed the course of civil rights in the United States. His incredible story is told, in part, through archived materials at the Bentley.

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  • Individuals in a classroom stand at easels drawing on white paper.

    “A Fuller Spectrum of Voices”

    A new collection from the National Conference of Artists (NCA), Michigan Chapter showcases the organization’s infrastructure and support for Black artists across the state of Michigan.

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  • Strong as Steel

    Cornelius L. Henderson was a pioneering steel engineer and architect who helped construct two of the major Great Lakes bridge crossings between the United States and Canada.

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  • An American flag waves in front of a crowd of white protesters with signs.

    Ten Burning Buses

    One researcher is using Bentley collections to spotlight anti-civil rights terrorism – including a 1971 bus bombing in Pontiac, Michigan – and racially motivated crimes that too often went unsolved.

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