Highlights from the Detroit NAACP 60th anniversary Walk to Freedom

The Detroit Branch NAACP hosted its vibrant and momentous “June Jubilee: A Celebration of Freedom” during the June 22-25 weekend, four days of events honoring the historic 60th anniversary of the Detroit Walk to Freedom. The celebration paid homage to the pivotal civil rights march that took place in the city on June 23, 1963, setting the stage for the well-known March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

Bringing together community and civil rights leaders, politicians, activists and residents from across Southeast Michigan, the events commemorated the spirit of unity, resilience and progress that characterized the inaugural Detroit Walk to Freedom. It served as a reminder of the march’s profound impact on the civil rights movement and fight for racial equality in America.

Detroit NAACP unveils Martin Luther King Jr. statue

(Left to Right) City of Detroit Arts & Culture Director Rochelle Riley, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield and several others celebrate the unveiling of a new bronze Martin Luther King Jr. statue in Hart Plaza. | Photo by One Detroit

The weekend celebrations kicked off Friday morning with the unveiling of a new Martin Luther King Jr. Statue in Hart Plaza, followed by the 60th commemorative Walk to Freedom the day after. One Detroit joined both events to capture these historic moments.

Watch highlights from the Detroit NAACP’s June Jubilee events, where contributor Orlando Bailey, engagement director for BridgeDetroit, spoke with Detroit historian Jamon Jordan, Metro Detroit Black Business Alliance CEO Charity Dean, Dr. Ossian Sweet Foundation CEO Daniel Baxter, Michigan 6th District Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, Professor Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, and several residents — Imani Foster, Gregory Gunn, Sandra Richardson Smith and Dr. Sharonlyn Harris — who attended the 1963 Walk to Freedom as children.

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