A children’s book from historian and author Sharon Sexton is helping youth understand the history of the Civil Rights Movement in Detroit and its impact today.

Titled “MLK Jr.’s Detroit Dream: Memoir of a Civil Rights Foot Soldier,” the book details the Civil Rights Movement through the perspective of an eight-year-old African American girl who recounts her experiences during Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 march in Detroit, where he delivered an early version of his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. 

The book chronicles significant events from 1963 to Dr. King’s assassination in 1968, presenting them in a way young readers can understand. Sexton began writing the memoir to share her personal history after being inspired by a group of library children’s curiosity on the subject.  

The story also highlights the importance of bridging generational gaps and encourages families to discuss both historical and current events. Sexton, who grew up in the 1950s and 60s, is passionate about making history accessible.  

One Detroit Producer Will Glover sat down with Sexton to talk about her new children’s book, making Black history accessible to youth and bridging generational gaps through storytelling.