Contact:

Jessica Weirauch
Michigan Municipal League
[email protected]
 734-669-6311

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 29, 2026

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – Members of the Michigan Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (MBC-LEO) will be present tomorrow at the grand opening of the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia at Ferris State University. 

MBC-LEO was created to provide a forum for its members to collaborate, network, coach, mentor, share information and provide support to one another in the state of Michigan. The Caucus works in cooperation with the Michigan Municipal League. Membership of MBC-LEO is comprised of local elected officials and municipal staff members and associates in the state of Michigan. 

The Jim Crow Museum is the nation’s largest publicly accessible collection of artifacts of intolerance and uses its collection to educate, promote understanding and inspire a more just society. For the past two years, it has undergone a $22 million expansion project, designed to increase both exhibition and educational space and improve preservation of the museum’s vast collection. The grand opening of the new facility is scheduled for September 30 and October 1. The event is sponsored by the George & Judith Goodman Fund. 

“The Jim Crow Museum tells the story of an era when Black Americans faced systematic barriers to full participation in public life,” said Helen D. Johnson, President of the Michigan Municipal League Foundation. “Philanthropy has an important role in ensuring that these stories are preserved, and that future generations have places where they can learn from the past, recognize the progress that has been made and understand the work that remains.” 

With the presence of MBC-LEO, the event will also underscore historical progress: from an era in which Black Americans were systematically excluded from political power in many parts of the country to one in which Black elected officials serve communities at every level of government. 

“For Black leaders, the sad history presented at the Jim Crow Museum is both exceedingly personal and intimately connected to our public service,” said Brenda F. Moore, Mayor of the City of Saginaw and President of MBC-LEO. “The right to vote, the right to hold public office and the opportunity to represent our communities were secured through generations of sacrifice and persistence. To be present at the re-opening of this important museum is a chance to honor that history while reflecting on the responsibility that comes with the offices we hold today.” 

The day will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1:30 p.m., followed by a tour of the new Jim Crow Museum space. 

The Michigan Municipal League (MML) Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Michigan Municipal League (the League). The MML Foundation supports innovative work through partnerships, grants and programming that creatively and intentionally bring people together and build community wealth. Learn more at mmlfoundation.org. 

Michigan Municipal League is dedicated to making Michigan’s communities better by thoughtfully innovating programs, energetically connecting ideas and people, actively serving members with resources and services, and passionately inspiring positive change for Michigan’s greatest centers of potential: its communities. The League advocates on behalf of its member communities in Lansing, Washington, D.C., and the courts; provides educational opportunities for elected and appointed municipal officials; and assists municipal leaders in administering services to their communities through League programs and services. Learn more at mml.org. 

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