July 2, 2020
DETROIT – Since many are still staying and working at home to prevent the spread of COVID-19, MotorCities is continuing its popular series of virtual programs featuring members of our Speakers Bureau and others discussing interesting automotive and labor history topics. Each MotorCities At Home program is FREE and presented live via Zoom.
The series resumes Thursday, July 9 at 12 p.m. EDT with "Ford Motor Company & the Arsenal of Democracy" with Bob Kreipke, Ford’s Historian Emeritus. Kreipke’s career at Ford included producing award-winning films and videotapes, production of live shows, and executive strategic planning. He has also authored three international books – Ford Motor Company, the First 100 Years, The Model T, and Faces of Henry Ford. Soon a fourth book will be for sale titled, The Model A.
To register for the July 9 event, click
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jC_Fu8TxRleN_Bt41naAWA.
Next, learn the story of “Rosie the Riveter” with Alison Beatty on Thursday, July 16 at 12 p.m. EDT. This presentation covers the extraordinary role that women played in bringing victory to Allied forces in World War II. It chronicles the circumstances that led to rise of the mighty Willow Run bomber plant in Ypsilanti, where Ford Motor Company was able to produce thousands of four-engine B-24 Liberator bombers at the almost unfathomable rate of one airplane every 55 minutes. This previously unheard of industrial accomplishment would have been impossible without the help of tens of thousands of women who had never previously set foot on a factory floor. The presentation explores how women mastered factory skills and became known as the “Rosie the Riveters,” who would forevermore inspire passion and perseverance in men and women alike. Beatty, whose grandfather fought in World War II, is affiliated with the Yankee Air Museum in Belleville.
To reserve your spot for the Thursday, July 16 presentation, click https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PMtdvk7MRUCRblMFQBTKPA.
Finally, get the complete story behind the creation of the “Southwest Detroit Auto Heritage Guide,” a new feature debuting later this month on the MotorCities website, with a panel discussion on Thursday, July 23 at 12 p.m. EDT. The Guide chronicles the auto legacy built by the entrepreneurs, workers, businesses and unions of Southwest Detroit over more than a century. The panel includes the following:
· Janese Chapman of Detroit's Historic District Advisory Board;
· Rob Dewaelsche, Director of the Southwest Detroit Business Association;
· Brian Yopp, Director of Programs & Operations for MotorCities;
· and Ron Alpern & Dan Clark of the Guide's Coordinating Committee.
To reserve your spot for the Thursday, July 23 presentation, click
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fCBUcD3OSS6_Tz0IHjVAdA.
To get more information about the entire series of "MotorCities At Home" presentations and to register for each Zoom event, click www.motorcities.org/motorcities-at-home-series.