Michigan nonprofit showcases former residence of Malcolm X
People in Inkster, Michigan, are celebrating a significant day as visitors toured the home where Malcolm X became Malcolm X, just two days before what would've been his 100th birthday.
"To be able to represent Malcolm this way in the City of Inkster, to restore the home that he lived in when he was released from prison, this is history," Dawon Lynn, a board member with the Inkster-based nonprofit Project We Hope Dream and Believe, said. "This is something we know Malcolm is smiling down on us right here, for this."
A modest house on Williams Street in Inkster once belonged to Malcolm X's brother and sister-in-law, Wilfred and Ruth Little.
And it was in this home during the 1950s that the African American revolutionary and human rights activist Malcolm X changed his name from Malcolm Little and discovered his Muslim faith.
Over the past few years, the home has been carefully restored and renovated to honor the home's legacy as authentically as possible.
"It was in bad shape," Arthur Edge, a general contractor for the home, said. "There was a fire in here. We had to reconstruct the roof. Then we gutted out the house and put everything in as it was in 1950."
On Saturday afternoon, Project We Hope Dream and Believe invited the public to see a soft-launch of all the work that has been done on the home, and they were intentional with why they chose the day they did.
"Malcolm was born May 19th, and Wilfred passed away on May 19th," Aaron Sims, founder of Project We Hope, which owns the house, said, "so the thing that we're doing today is we're having a 100th birthday celebration for Malcolm and a memorial celebration for Wilfred."
The renovation of the house is about 80% complete, and when completely finished, the home will become a museum to the public. Eventually, there will be a historical marker in the front of the house showcasing the life of Malcolm and his brother Wilfred.
"I mean, Malcolm X is a compelling historical figure, and he's iconic, and I think that our attempts to preserve this home are really going to be essential to preserving his legacy," said Tareq Ramadan, a project manager with Project We Hope.
The full public opening of the home and museum is expected to happen in August.
