DEARBORN, Mich. – A landmark of the Civil Rights movement has found a new home in Michigan.
The Jackson Home -- relocated from Selma, Alabama, and now more than a century old -- is on display at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, offering visitors a rare, immersive look at one of the most pivotal chapters in American history.
The Dr. Sullivan and Richie Jean Sherrod Jackson Home played a central role in the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights campaign, when key figures -- including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. -- gathered there to organize the fight for voting rights for all Americans. The home has been reconstructed inside Greenfield Village, complete with original objects and rooms that tell the story of that movement.
Step inside history
Walking through the front door, the home feels like any ordinary family residence -- until visitors take a closer look. Heather Bruegl, curator of Political and Civic Engagement, explained that the space was carefully arranged to protect those inside.
“The curtains were constantly drawn in this room -- so even if people knew Dr. King was in the house they didn’t know where he was specifically,” Bruegl said.
The home also tells the story of the sheer number of people who passed through its doors during those historic days.
“People were sleeping everywhere. I mean the bathroom you guys see as you enter -- Rev. James Bevel slept there,” Bruegl said.
Mayors reflect on the home’s legacy
On Thursday, Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud walked through the home for the first time, joining mayors from across Michigan for a guided tour. For Hammoud, the experience was a call to action.
“Hopefully it just pushes us and everybody that walks through these doors to understand what was fought for, why it was fought for and what we still have left to fight for,” Hammoud said.
Ypsilanti Mayor Nicole Brown reflected on how the home captures not just the movement’s leaders, but the everyday people who made it possible.
“Even the littlest girl -- right -- she was helping pass things out. Mom was cooking, dad was working with his colleagues and with Dr. King, but everyone had a position to play. It was also very familial. There was a connection, they took care of each other, and I think that’s another message that young people have to learn -- that we need to take care of each other,” Brown said.
Everyday people, everyday courage
The Jackson Home opens to the public on June 12.