The Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance at Wayne State University announces its 2017-18 season beginning this fall. Opening the season is "The Underpants" by legendary comedian and award-winning actor, Steve Martin. The theatre invites audiences into the forest with Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" from Oct. 12 to 28 in the Studio Theatre at the Hilberry. Next is Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire," performing Nov. 3 to 19 at the Hilberry. Then, the annual holiday favorite, "A Christmas Carol," returns to the Bonstelle Theatre, Dec. 1 through 17. Running Dec. 7 to 16 in the Studio Theatre at the Hilberry is Diana Son's "Stop Kiss." Wrapping up the fall is the December Dance Concert, featuring contemporary dance masters for one weekend only, Dec. 8 and 9 at the Detroit Music Hall. The winter opens with the Louise Heck-Rabi Dramatic Playwriting One Act Festival, Feb. 1 through 3 in the Studio Theatre at the Hilberry. Next is George C. Wolfe's "The Colored Museum," running Feb. 2 to 18 at the Hilberry Theatre. Celebrating its 89th year, the Spring Dance Concert performs at the Bonstelle Theatre March 1 and 2, highlighting national and international works from the dance world's top-performing artists. Following is Aaron Posner's "Stupid F*ing Bird" March 1 through 31 in the Studio Theatre at the Hilberry. In April, the Bonstelle Theatre presents the Broadway musical "Sister Act" running April 13 to 22. Closing the season is Shakespeare's "King Lear," performing April 27 to May 13 at the Hilberry.

A wall — known as Detroit's Wailing Wall, Berlin Wall or The Birwood Wall — was constructed in the 1940s, integration was not the goal. "There's no mistaking why this wall was built," says Jeff Horner, senior lecturer in Wayne State’s department of urban studies and planning. "The urban uprisings in the 1960s gave rise to the Fair Housing Act of 1968," he says. "Until that time - until I was 7 years old - it was perfectly legal to discriminate against somebody of color. You didn't have to sell them their house if you didn't like the color of their skin. You didn't have to rent to them." The wall was basically there to delineate the white side from the black side. It was there, says Horner, “To keep black people from moving into the white neighborhood." Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the population of Detroit grew, buoyed in large part by southern blacks moving north for factory jobs during the Great Migration. But when a developer wanted to build housing for white people adjacent to this neighborhood, the Federal Housing Authority wouldn't guarantee loans for houses with black neighbors — unless there was a segregation wall. "Ultimately what resulted," Horner says, "was this so-called compromise to build a wall that separated the undeveloped part of Detroit from this already established black neighborhood that was in the city, that had been here since the 1920s - what's referred to as the 8 Mile and Wyoming area."

Historical materials preserved at the Walter P. Reuther Library are receiving increased exposure and research use through an innovative partnership with the Digital Publishing Unit in the University Library System. The Reuther Library is the largest archival repository in Detroit and preserves primary sources related to the history of organized labor in North America, urban affairs in Southeast Michigan and Wayne State University.