Group looks toward progress at Malcolm X home in Inkster
Aaron Sims, one of the driving forces behind the move to save and refurbish an Inkster home briefly occupied by Malcolm X, said he is hoping for more progress in the restoration this year. Sims, along with a dedicated cadre of volunteers, has been working for more than a decade to acquire the Williams Street home and property.
According to city and historic records, Malcolm X lived in the home with his brother and his brother's family from 1952 until 1953, during his civil right efforts in Detroit. Sims and the other members of the group hope to turn the house into a historic landmark and a museum where other items belonging the Malcolm X can be seen.
Sims said one of the group, Chris Webber, owns the suit Malcolm X was wearing when he was shot, and the group hopes to have that as one of the exhibits, according to Dawom Lynn, another member of the group determined to complete the restoration.Sims said he is hoping the home and property on the street will become a reminder of the significance of Inkster and the area in the Civil Rights movement.
To date, the driveway at the old home has been repaved, a new porch and sidewalk added and electrical repairs completed. The men have plans to restore the entire home, including the upstairs bedroom where Malcolm X slept. One of their plans includes having volunteers and members of the public sign the interior framework of the walls before they are finished.
Sims said he is hoping for more progress on the effort to preserve part of the history of the Civil Rights movement this year and have the work complete by this summer.
Lynn said the group is hoping to turn the home into a reminder of the history of the nation. He added that the home is something “that shouldn't have been left out of history.”
