This week on One Detroit: 

Malcolm X’s former Michigan home being restored with plans for museum 

Malcolm X’s former home in Inkster is undergoing a significant restoration. The civil rights leader lived there in 1952 and 1953. The preservation project is a collaboration between Project We Hope Dream & Believe and Wayne State University’s Department of Anthropology. 

It aims to restore the home to its 1950s condition. Plans include transforming the residence into a museum dedicated to Malcolm X’s life as a Nation of Islam minister and civil rights leader, as well as his lasting impact on the community. The museum will also honor Malcolm’s brother Wilfred, who once owned the house and was a crucial figure in Malcolm’s journey.  

The renovation is supported by a $380,850 African American Civil Rights grant from the Historic Preservation Fund, administered by the National Park Service. The nonprofit also plans to build a vocational tech center and community space next door to serve residents. The home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in November 2021, recognizing its cultural significance and making it Inkster’s first site to receive this honor. 

BridgeDetroit reporter Micah Walker visits the home during the renovation and speaks with some of the people behind the preservation project. Walker talks with Project We Hope Dream & Believe Co-founder and Executive Director Aaron Sims about the importance of saving the home and the plans for the historical site. She also learns about recent archaeological excavations at the house that were organized by the nonprofit’s project manager, Dr. Tareq Ramadan, an anthropology professor at Wayne State University. 

Plus, One Detroit contributor Stephen Henderson, host of “American Black Journal,” talks with Walker and Ramadan about the history of the house, Malcolm X’s legacy, and what visitors will experience at the future museum. 

Detroit Future City’s 5th annual Equity Forum focuses on bridging gaps for Detroiters

The 5th annual Detroit Future City Equity Forum, which took place in October, focused on ensuring Detroiters get equitable access to quality jobs and careers in Michigan.  

The event featured conversations on equity, inclusion and the future of work with local speakers and experts. It also explored how companies of all sizes can help bridge educational and skill gaps to provide better employment opportunities and higher incomes to residents in the region. One Detroit will livestream a portion of the forum at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21 on its Facebook page and YouTube channel. 

One Detroit’s Will Glover sits down with Detroit Future City CEO Anika Goss to discuss Detroit Future City’s goals of making employment equitable and how companies can implement better equity practices across their organizations. 

Far Therapeutic Arts & Recreation provides creative arts therapy for people with disabilities 

FAR Therapeutic Arts & Recreation is a nonprofit organization committed to helping individuals with disabilities through art, music and dance. 

One Detroit contributor Daijah Moss talks with the organization’s President Pamela Ayres, Director of Therapeutic Staff and music therapist Breanna Bowen, and art therapist Parina Davis-Usher about the opportunities provided to children and adults. 

One Detroit is re-airing this story in conjunction with the premiere of a new PBS Kids animated series, “Carl the Collector,” which follows Carl, a warm-hearted raccoon with autism who loves collecting things. Carl’s attention to detail, distinctive way of looking at the world, and extensive collections help him solve problems around Fuzzytown with his friends.  

The show is the first PBS Kids series to feature main characters on the autism spectrum. The series airs on PBS Kids at 11 a.m. daily, including weekends, and on Detroit PBS at 8:30 a.m. on weekdays. 

Things to do in Detroit this weekend: November 15, 2024

This weekend, get into the holiday spirit with the tree lighting at Canterbury Village in Lake Orion. Plus, dogs are invited to Barkside Detroit to chase tennis balls on Thursdays. There are also a variety of arts and theater performances coming to town including “Under the Streetlamp” at Orchestra Hall, “The Wizard of Oz” at the Midland Center for the Arts, and a Marx Brothers double feature at the Redford Theatre in Detroit. One Detroit contributors Cecelia Sharpe and Dave Wagner of 90.9 WRCJ share what’s coming up around the region on “One Detroit Weekend.”