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The Detroit 20th Century African American Civil Rights Project
Detroit figured prominently in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement of the mid-20th Century. King Solomon Baptist Church's auditorium hosted civil rights leader Malcolm X in 1963, where he gave his "Message to the Grassroots" speech. The church complex was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.
Throughout the 20th Century, Detroit’s Black citizens worked to establish equality in housing, employment, education, health care, criminal justice, and government. Long a stronghold of civil rights activism, Detroit was the site of the 1963 Walk to Freedom, which was the first major civil rights march in America, where Martin Luther King Jr. first delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. Later that same year, Malcolm X’s “Message to the Grassroots” speech given in Detroit signaled the radicalization of the Civil Rights movement and increased interest in Black Nationalism.
In 2016, the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office was awarded a National Park Service African American Civil Rights program grant to study, document, and interpret sites of Civil Rights significance in Detroit. The Detroit 20th Century African American Civil Rights Project resulted in a historic context, the identification of 100 civil rights sites, the survey of 30 of those sites, National Register of Historic Places listings for five sites, and an interactive Civil Rights sites bike tour. The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) provided additional funding for the research and creation of 3 new Michigan State Historical Markers to better share some of these stories with the public.
The historic context addresses the following themes and time periods identified in the National Park Service publication Civil Rights in America: A Framework for Identifying Significant Sites (revised 2008):
Historic Context and Inventory Report
The Civil Rights Movement and the African American Experience in 20th Century Detroit Historic Context and Inventory Report documents existing Civil Rights-related sites and background.
Multiple Property Documentation Form (MPDF)
The MPDF presents relevant contexts and themes and will enable sites with Detroit Civil Rights significance to be added to the National Register of Historic Places with more ease going forward.
The National Register of Historic Places is the federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. The project listed five Civil Rights places in the Register (see full listing next section).
This interactive tour and map allows you to drive or bike to a selection of Civil Rights sites in the city of Detroit and learn more about their significance. The tour is complete and you can easily explore the tour route by smartphone, tablet or computer!
National Register of Historic Places
The coordinated effort to list Detroit Civil Rights sites in the National Register of Historic Places began in 2016 with the grant award to create the MPDF and five initial nominations. Outside community efforts and grants have added several related sites to the National Register, and additional Civil Rights nominations are also in the works. Explore complete National Register nominations for the following historic properties (Note: some files are large):
* Sites listed as part of the Detroit 20th Century African American Civil Rights Project Grant (2016)
Michigan Historical Markers
The research and installation of three Michigan Historical Markers to interpret Civil Rights-related sites was completed in 2023. These markers bring relevant facts and stories to the public at key historical locations.
Rehabiliation Projects
For more information on the Detroit 20th Century African American Civil Rights Project, contact:
Amy L. Arnold, Preservation Planner
State Historic Preservation Office
[email protected] or 517-582-1477
For information on the National Register of Historic Places visit https://www.nps.gov/nr
Detroit Civil Rights Sites Bike Tour Video Preview
SHPO has launched an interactive Civil Rights Bike Tour around the city of Detroit to highlight many historically significant places that reflect the civil rights movement in Michigan’s largest city. Encompassing 20 different stops in total, the tour is nearly 17 miles in length but can be easily broken into shorter segments. Learn more in this video preview.
