Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History Presents TAKING ROOT

A large crowd recently gathered from across the Detroit metro area to watch the Community Cinema screening of TAKING ROOT: The Vision of Wangari Maathai at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.

The evening started with a dance performance by students of Heritage Works, a local performing arts studio. Ranging in age from 7 to 17 years old, the group played drums, danced and sang African rhythms.

After viewing the film, Rebecca Salminen Witt, president of The Greening of Detroit, a conservation group, took the stage to answered questions about what can be done and is being done in the city of Detroit to combat urban decay. She talked about performing free soil tests, the struggle to save Belle Isle and the opportunity to volunteer at tree plantings.

David Gakure, education specialist at the Detroit Zoo, also spoke and shared stories about growing up in Kenya, where he watched as his mother plant trees because of what she had learned from Dr. Maathai. His impassioned story inspired others to share, including a attendee originally from Nairobi, about the exploitation of natural resources.

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Tags: Africa, Detroit, Wangari Maathai