Leaders & Trailblazers

School Board Secretary Adrienne Davis Advocates for Children, Diversity

Adrienne Davis, of the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools Board of Education, says diversity is a winning proposition that will build a better community.

Adrienne M. Davis, secretary of the Plymouth-Canton school board, started as an active parent and has now served on the board for almost five years. Elected in 2009, she is the first black school board member. The second, Kim Crouch, joined Feb. 5 to fill an open seat. Davis is one of the modern-day community leaders and trailblazers whom Patch is highlighting in recognition of Black History Month. Her participation in the district started in her role as an active parent. Her two children – Jared, 17, who will graduate from Plymouth High School this year; and Brandon, 19, who is currently attending Schoolcraft Community College – went to school in the district. Davis, a 14-year Plymouth resident, helped address a 2001 incident in the …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (2)

Village Theater's Idlewild Exhibit Surprises, Delights Visitors

"Welcome to Idlewild: The Black Eden of Michigan" is on display though Feb. 24.

A small Black History Month exhibit, Welcome to Idlewild: The Black Eden of Michigan, is capturing the imagination of those who encounter it. The show, which is a series of 11 panels showcasing images and text depicting the oldest and perhaps most famous African-American resort community in the United States, is installed in the lobby of Village Theater at Cherry Hill. Craig Sherrad, a recent transplant from Los Angeles to Detroit, was both surprised and delighted when he and a friend, Joy Mason of Southfield, discovered it during the Canton One Acts intermission in January. “My grandmother has land there,” he mused while gazing at the exhibit’s images. Sherrad said he’d never been to Idlewild and had to scrap plans for a weekend visit. …

• Photos (4)