Henry Ford Museum

As part of this year’s new programming for Celebrate Black History!, on select days each week in February you can take a free guided tour through Henry Ford Museum to learn about different types of innovations and the unique challenges that African Americans have faced in realizing those innovations, both social and technological.

You’ll learn about the accomplishments of some well-known historical figures and perhaps ones you’re less familiar with, beginning with a Detroit-area innovator – Elijah McCoy, the son of former slaves who escaped to Canada via the Underground Railroad.

Raised and educated as a free black man, McCoy saw a need for better oil lubrication for steam locomotives – so he worked to innovate and improve the existing designs for an automatic lubricator. One of his McCoy Lubricators is now on display inside Henry Ford Museum, behind the Henry’s Assembly Line activity near the Currier Shoe Shop.

From there, your presenter will lead you to other artifacts that help tell the stories of such African-American leaders as Frederick Douglass, Rosa Parks, Lewis Latimer and, of course, George Washington Carver.

The African-American Innovators Tour is offered Wednesday through Sunday, departing from our cornerstone at the center of Henry Ford Museum at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Join us for this new tour, then tell us: What surprised you most about an African-American innovator’s history? How or where do you see their work continuing today?

The Henry Ford, in Dearborn, Michigan, is the world’s premiere history destination that celebrates 300 years of American history and innovation.

Its mission is to provide unique educational experiences based on America’s traditions of ingenuity, resourcefulness and innovation. Its purpose is to inspire people to learn from these traditions and shape a better future. The Henry Ford holds 26 million authentic artifacts and documents including Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park laboratory, the bus on which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, the Wright Brothers’ home and cycle shop, and Buckminster Fuller’s Dymaxion House. Five distinct attractions at The Henry Ford captivate and inspire more than 1.6 million visitors annually: Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village, The Ford Rouge Factory Tour, The Benson Ford Research Center and The Henry Ford IMAX Theatre.