Black History

Wallace A. Rayfield was among a very small and elite group of university-trained African American architects working in the early twentieth-century. Across his vibrant career, he produced homes, churches, schools, and commercial buildings throughout the USA—including the Jackson Home.

Hip hop emerged out of the Bronx in the early 1970s, exploding into a global cultural phenomenon. Spotlighted here are selections from The Henry Ford’s collections that document histories of expression told through hip hop fashion, technology, and performance.

In the Spring of 2023, the contents of an entire house - 9,000 everyday objects, including photographs, documents, books, and household items, were logged, packed, and shipped from Selma, Alabama to Dearborn, Michigan. That house was the Jackson Family Home, which was recently moved to its new permanent home in Greenfield Village – you can find out more about the move here!

In March of 1965, the eyes of the world fell on Selma, Alabama as the city's Black citizens fought to secure their voting rights. When they were met with violent opposition, thousands of Americans came to Alabama to support their cause. What was the on-the-ground experience of those who came to Selma?

New York City was experiencing a time of turmoil from the late 1960s through the 1970s. The city, especially in the outer boroughs, was in depth of recession; urban renewal policies had harmed predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods.

With the opening of Greenfield Village in spring 2026, visitors to the Mattox Family Home will see a freshly—and even more advantageously—repapered interior. The Georgia Newspaper Project helped make it possible.

Opening day is here for The Jackson Home. Explore how selfless actions inside its walls in 1965 continue to hold relevance in 2026.

The Jackson Home was known as “The House by the Side of the Road” for the way it welcomed everyone who came by. It was this welcoming spirit that would place the home at the center of history, as the struggle for Civil Rights came to Selma in 1965.

Farm families in Alabama knew well the association between the countryside and lawlessness. Actions during February and March 1965 indicated the raw courage required within and beyond the countryside to effect change.

Melvin Parson enriched our lives through his commitment to helping formerly incarcerated individuals plant new futures. He knew of the value of this work because of his own experiences. Starting with a small garden plot in his aunt’s yard, he built an organization that supported individuals and delivered inspiration.