Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Original Play | "The Beginnings of the Boycott"
11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in the Museum Plaza

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for defying segregation on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama. In response, the Women's Political Council organized a one-day boycott on the day of her trial where 40,000 Black citizens — the majority of the city’s bus riders — refused to use the system in protest of Parks' arrest. A one-day boycott sent a message but wasn't enough to achieve the real change that civil rights leaders knew was possible.

This original play brings visitors inside the discussion with Parks, E.D. Nixon, Jo Ann Robinson and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as they strategize an initiative with greater impact. What would be the cost to Black passengers if they extended the boycott for potentially months or years? Could the community endure that cost for a future where Black passengers would be treated with respect?

Duo Musical Performance | Ashley Baylor & Sean Burden
11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Museum Plaza

Join Detroit-based performers Ashley Baylor, soprano, and Sean Burden, pianist, for a dynamic musical tribute showcasing works by Black composers whose contributions have helped define our nation's musical heritage.

Reclaiming the Northern Black Freedom Struggle | A Conversation with Dr. Jeanne Theoharis, Author of King of the North
2 p.m. in Anderson Theater

Join New York Times bestselling author Dr. Jeanne Theoharis as she explores her newly published book King of the North: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Life of Struggle Outside the South in conversation with Amber N. Mitchell, Curator of Black History at The Henry Ford.

This event is FREE and open to the public, but registration is required. Seats are limited. Learn more and RSVP here.

The Jackson Home Chair Display
9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Museum Plaza

View a powerful piece of civil rights history: the floral living room chair from the Selma, Alabama, home of Dr. Sullivan and Richie Jean Sherrod Jackson. In 1965, their home became a refuge and strategic hub for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference as it fought for Black voting rights. It was in this chair that Dr. King watched President Lyndon B. Johnson's historic national address pledging federal action — a turning point that led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Shown publicly for the first time before being installed in the Jackson Home in Greenfield Village, the chair stands as a poignant reminder of courage, commitment and the ordinary spaces where extraordinary change begins.

Live Performance | Words of Freedom: Excerpts from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And President Lyndon B. Johnson
10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 1:45 p.m. in the Museum Plaza

Join us for four live performances by actors who will recite some of Dr. King's most famous speeches, alongside President Lyndon B. Johnson's March 15, 1965, congressional address urging the passage of what would become the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Free Screening at Giant Screen Experience | The Vote
11 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. in Giant Screen Experience | Runtime: 1 hour, 25 minutes

From The Bending the Arc Project, this documentary covers the hard-fought battle to expand voting rights in 1960s Alabama — the sacrifices made, the lives lost and the need to continue the fight for all.

Admission for both screenings is free in recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Seats will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Capacities are limited.

Musical Performance | Brazeal Dennard Chorale
Noon and 1:30 p.m. in the Museum Plaza

Experience the Brazeal Dennard Chorale — one of the longest-standing organized choral groups in the country — as they bring more than four decades of vocal excellence to the stage, continuing their mission to remember, discover and preserve the spiritual music of the Black experience.