The Monroe County Library System’s Black History Month Blues Series educational program stands out as an example for every town to emulate. What began in 1988 in the corner of a library branch as a series designed to celebrate the cultural contributions of African-Americans in music has grown into one of Monroe County’s most anticipated events and Michigan’s longest running Blues festival. The series now consists of a month long series of free concerts and workshops starring national, regional and local Blues artists. Headliners have included legends like Robert Lockwood, Jr., Willie Dixon, Lonnie Brooks, and Pinetop Perkins mixed with current Blues names like Henry Butler, Samuel James, Michael Powers, and Saffire, The Uppity Blues Women. The month’s events include free workshops which focus on lessons in both history and music. Its Bluesapalooza, which features multiple performances reaching about 1,500 kids in a day, has been a huge part of the series for the past seven or eight years.
