A new King in town, statue unveiling

On Friday, June 23, 2023 the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the City of Detroit unveiled the Martin Luther King Jr. statue, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the March on Woodward. The statue represents the precursor, I Have Dream speech King gave in Detroit at that march on June 24, 1963.

The introduction to the event was full of dance song and prayer. Presentations included speeches from Mayor Michael Duggan and Author Michael Eric Dyson. A speech by a young lady from Cass Technical High School moved the crowd. The speech reiterated the dream for forward and onward. Plenty of honorable and legendary public figures were in attendance for the Martin Luther King Jr. statue unveiling. It was a beautiful site to see the gathering.

Some of those present in the crowd were at The March sixty years ago. Grace Hampton Fouchee recalls 60 years ago being with both sets of grandparents, her parents, sister and brother and her yellow tight shoes. "I remember the speech, not all of it but when he said free at last, free at last and I've been to the mountaintop,' that part made me feel like so he does know something we don't," said Fouchee.

For a moment Fouchee gets choked up, "I can see both my grandparents now, I didn't know it was going to do that to me." The statue commemorates the March on Woodward event for those involved young and old. The statue gives honor to a historical person, Martin Luther King. Fouchee remembers her father's tears when King was assassinated. Once she saw the statue she said, "Daddy he's still alive."

As the mayor stated during his speech 'Black history is American history. There are plenty of statues around town and a heavy lack of Black American representation among them. This statue is a step forward. There is much more room and opportunity for more Black American history to be showed and talked about here in Detroit. '