America 250
America250 — formally the United States Semiquincentennial — is the nationwide commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The milestone will be celebrated in 2026 through a multi-year initiative led by the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, in partnership with states, cities, cultural institutions, and community organizations.
Destination Detroit explores the rich history of the people who have shaped Southeast Michigan through a collection of interviews and stories. The project tells the region’s evolving story — connecting the past, the present, and the future through community voices, powerful storytelling, live discussions and immersive experiences.
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Hour I: See Michigan marvels in Charlevoix, including a WWII painted A-2 flight jacket, a John Bailey dwarf clock, ca. 1800 and a 1973 Charles Schulz-signed drawing and book. Which find has a $75,000 value?
Hour II: Discover treasures Charlevoix, Michigan's Castle Farms. One family heirloom is worth a whopping $75,000!
Hour III: Find treasures including Tiffany Studios lily sconces, ca. 1905, a 1904 Philadelphia quilt, and a Chinese and Japanese decorative art collection. One family heirloom is worth a whopping $75,000!
Hometown Traditions and Motor City Memories: Takes you back in time to experience Detroit traditions that live on through rare film, old photographs and fond memories. Summer days at Belle Isle, the Vernor’s soda fountain, Jefferson Beach and Edgewater Park are among the sites revisited.
The American Dream and the Automobile: Celebrates the city that put the world on wheels and the people whose lives were changed forever. Through rare footage from Detroit-area family collections and media archives, this hometown documentary reveals how Detroit was transformed into a world industrial leader.
Made in the Motor City: Narrated by broadcast legend, Erik Smith, and through the lens of filmmaker Bill Kubota, the documentary will take viewers cruising through the Woodward Gratiot automotive corridor, dining at American Coney Island and Buddy’s Pizza, while listening to the voices of famous Detroit personalities such as Jo-Jo Shutty McGregor, Ken Calvert and many more!
The History of Detroit Public Television: Examines local TV from the late 1940s to the 1990s. Highlights include rare footage including an amazing vocal performance by 14-year-old Ursula Walker, who today is a Detroit jazz legend; profiles of Soupy Sales, Sonny Elliot, Bill Kennedy and other local celebrities; the story behind one of the longest-running TV series in America, Detroit's "American Black Journal."
The Jewish Community: Traces the roots of Jews in Detroit from the 1700’s with the arrival of the first Jewish fur trader in Detroit and culminates in the importance of Jewish leadership in the political, civil rights, arts, cultural and educational life of the region today.
