2025 Being Human Festival US
Stories of Detroit’s Crown Jewel:
Different Facets of Being Human at Belle Isle Park
April 24, 2025
10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Every Detroiter has their own story of Belle Isle. Come and share yours! Join Belle Isle Aquarium Educator Ossie White and WSU Professor Patrick Cooper-McCann for a free coach tour and lunch on one of Detroit’s most beloved landmarks, Belle Isle Park. Stops along the island will reflect the history, development, uses, and meanings of the park over time. This tour will offer an opportunity to revisit the island and hear stories from two people whose lives and work are connected to it, and to think of the park’s meaning to you and to share your stories with others.
This free event includes coach bus transportation to and from a central location in Detroit (location TBA), the guided tour, and a catered lunch.
This tour is an official event of the 2025 Being Human Festival (US) and is made possible by funding from the National Humanities Center and the Wayne State University Humanities Center. It is sponsored by Wayne State University’s Humanities Center and Department of Urban Studies and Planning and the Belle Isle Conservancy.
Seats are limited. To register for this tour, call Victoria Stewart at (313) 577-4054
To learn more about the 2025 Being Human Festival (US), visit nationalhumanitiescenter.org/being-human-festival-usa
About the Tour Leaders
Ossie White is a Visitor Experience Associate at the Belle Isle Aquarium where he serves as a public educator, sharing the wonder of science and nature through his work. He has worked at Belle Isle since 2022 engaging his training and interest in wild and domestic animal life in new and exciting ways.
Patrick Cooper-McCann is an Assistant Professor of Urban Studies and Planning at Wayne State University. For his dissertation, he studied the history of Detroit's park system, from the early 1800s to the present, including Belle Isle's role as Detroit's most important gathering place and getaway.
Different Facets of Being Human at Belle Isle Park
April 24, 2025
10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Every Detroiter has their own story of Belle Isle. Come and share yours! Join Belle Isle Aquarium Educator Ossie White and WSU Professor Patrick Cooper-McCann for a free coach tour and lunch on one of Detroit’s most beloved landmarks, Belle Isle Park. Stops along the island will reflect the history, development, uses, and meanings of the park over time. This tour will offer an opportunity to revisit the island and hear stories from two people whose lives and work are connected to it, and to think of the park’s meaning to you and to share your stories with others.
This free event includes coach bus transportation to and from a central location in Detroit (location TBA), the guided tour, and a catered lunch.
This tour is an official event of the 2025 Being Human Festival (US) and is made possible by funding from the National Humanities Center and the Wayne State University Humanities Center. It is sponsored by Wayne State University’s Humanities Center and Department of Urban Studies and Planning and the Belle Isle Conservancy.
Seats are limited. To register for this tour, call Victoria Stewart at (313) 577-4054
To learn more about the 2025 Being Human Festival (US), visit nationalhumanitiescenter.org/being-human-festival-usa
About the Tour Leaders
Ossie White is a Visitor Experience Associate at the Belle Isle Aquarium where he serves as a public educator, sharing the wonder of science and nature through his work. He has worked at Belle Isle since 2022 engaging his training and interest in wild and domestic animal life in new and exciting ways.
Patrick Cooper-McCann is an Assistant Professor of Urban Studies and Planning at Wayne State University. For his dissertation, he studied the history of Detroit's park system, from the early 1800s to the present, including Belle Isle's role as Detroit's most important gathering place and getaway.
