DETROIT – Sunday was former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s most visible appearance in the city after spending more than seven years in prison.
It was a packed house at the Historic Little Rock Baptist Church in Detroit on Sunday as the congregation listened to Kilpatrick.
“It sounds like he has a bright future and I’m really happy for him,” churchgoer, Latrice Haywood, said.
“I ain’t trying to trick nobody, manipulate nobody. I ain’t trying to cheat nobody. I ain’t trying to do none of that. The light is on. Look at me. This is me,” Kilpatrick said.
This was Kilpatrick’s first time speaking publicly after serving years in prison. He said he found his second calling while inside.
“When I was in prison, one day the Chaplin came to me and he said, ‘I want you to be worship leader,’” Kilpatrick said.
The former mayor insists it all became clearer during his time in solitary confinement.
“I learned how to worship with no audience. I learned how to preach with not a single person in the room,” Kilpatrick said.
And while the future is unclear, one thing is certain: There are many supporters still in Kilpatrick’s corner.
“I’m hoping that he gets himself together and is praising the lord, doing all the right things in the right way,” Mary Smith said.
“He probably will be the best person now than he ever was. We all make mistakes and there is room for redemption,” Silva Haywood said.
During the sermon Kilpatrick offered his gratitude to the many people that prayed for him while he was serving time behind bars.