LANSING, Mich., April 28, 2022 — Members of the House Appropriations Committee met yesterday to discuss departmental budgets for the 2023 fiscal year. The Republican-led committee voted against an amendment introduced by state Rep. Joe Tate (D-Detroit), Democratic vice chair of the committee, to provide funding for the Detroit Institute of Art and The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. Tate issued the following statement in response:
“The Wright Museum is one of the oldest and largest African American museums in the country. It holds more African-American artifacts than any other museum in the world. It’s institutions like these that are so crucial to telling our story — the story of America. The DIA and the Wright are part of what makes Detroit such a vibrant and valuable cultural center for our state. It’s disappointing that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle failed to recognize and support these treasured Michigan institutions.”