Detroit Walk to Freedom
The Detroit Walk to Freedom was a pivotal 1963 march for racial justice organized by civil rights leaders. The march drew a record-breaking crowd and featured the original version of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream" speech, paving the way for the March on Washington two months later. For the 60th anniversary in 2023, One Detroit and American Black Journal produced a series of stories in partnership with BridgeDetroit that paid tribute to the inaugural march in Detroit and its continuing legacy.
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The History of Detroit’s Walk to Freedom
In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. first proclaimed, “I have a dream,” not in Washington, D.C. but in Detroit. King delivered an early version of his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech at the Detroit Walk to Freedom in 1963. The event marked a significant milestone in the civil rights movement.
The historic event was organized by prominent religious and civil rights leaders Rev. C.L. Franklin and Rev. Albert Cleage Jr. with Walter Reuther and the United Auto Workers playing a key role in bringing King to the Motor City. The march drew more than 125,000 people to Woodward Avenue to advocate for racial equality and justice in what was at the time the nation’s largest civil rights march.
The Detroit Walk to Freedom served as a powerful catalyst inspiring similar protests across the country and laying the groundwork for the March on Washington later that summer. Since then, the Detroit NAACP has hosted anniversary marches commemorating King’s historic message.
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