Detroit City Wire

Asmaa Walton, a Detroit native, initially pursued her dream of attending culinary school in Chicago but returned to Michigan State University due to homesickness. There, she shifted her focus to arts education and discovered the disparities within the education system. This realization motivated her to support inner-city youth throughout her career.

“I fell in love with arts education but wanted to take a more community-centered approach,” Walton stated. She noted that many Detroit Public Schools lack full-time art teachers, which influenced her decision not to pursue traditional teaching certification. Instead, she earned a master's degree in art politics from NYU and completed fellowships at the Toledo Museum of Art and the St. Louis Art Museum. During the pandemic, she started the Black Art Library as a side project, which quickly expanded.

Walton reflected on her time away from Detroit: “I don’t know if I necessarily felt like I had to leave... but nothing feels like home.” Despite its challenges, she remains committed to Detroit’s artistic legacy through the Black Art Library project.

“I feel like when I first left Detroit... being able to just see how much history Detroit has made me feel really proud,” Walton explained. Through her library initiative, she highlights overlooked Black artists from Detroit and engages with the city’s creative community.

The Black Art Library showcases works by artists such as Arthur Jafa and Marcus Brutus. It began as a Black History Month project but evolved into exhibitions and community programs. These initiatives challenge perceptions of Black art and promote alternative forms of education.

“If somebody thinks it’s radical, that’s amazing,” Walton said regarding alternative education methods. She emphasized that while it may be seen as radical by some, it is essential work for advancing Black people.

Reflecting on unlearning biases and understanding radicality within the Black community, Walton shared: “I used to feel like it wasn’t my responsibility... but I think that’s both true and not true.”

Walton's insights align with broader efforts toward anti-racism training in organizations such as Soccer Without Borders in Detroit City FC.

“Unlearning... means kind of taking a different route to learn information,” Walton concluded about ongoing personal growth and challenging established narratives throughout one's life.