Inkster Home Of Malcolm X Added To National Register Of Historic Places

(CBS DETROIT) - The home of civil rights activist Malcolm X has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Michigan Development Economic Corporation (MEDC) announced Tuesday.

Malcolm X Inkster home | Credit: Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

Malcolm X lived in the Inkster home with his brother from 1952 to 1953 after he was released from prison.

It is being transformed into a museum under the leadership of Project We Hope, Dream & Believe. The museum will focus on the significance of Malcolm X and act as a youth learning center.

"We are working hard toward rehabilitating and renovating the Malcolm X house, with the goal of transforming the home into a museum that will showcase Malcolm's life history, with special focus on his human and civil rights activism, as well as his relationship to the city of Inkster, which he referenced in one of his final speeches," said Project We Hope, Dream & Believe Executive Director Aaron Sims.

The project was recently aided by a $380,000 grant from the National Park Service African American Civil Rights program.

"We have also partnered with Wayne State University's Anthropology Department to conduct archaeological excavations around the home which, we hope, will provide further clues about what life was like in the neighborhood Malcolm lived in between 1952 and 1953," said Wayne State University Professor and Project We Hope, Dream & Believe Project Manager Dr. Tareq A. Ramadan. "Malcolm had a relationship with Wayne State too. In October of 1963, he gave a speech there in front of hundreds of students in the still-standing State Hall building, so it is befitting that the university and its students will be involved, again, today. For the city of Inkster, this is truly a momentous occasion, as Malcolm has become a true hometown hero, and Project We Hope, Dream & Believe, as well as the wider community, is deeply committed to the preservation of Malcolm's legacy."

For a property to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places, it must typically be at least 50 years old and hold some type of historical significance.

To learn more about this Malcolm X house project, visit here.

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