About the Malcolm X Project

About the Malcolm X Inkster Home Historical Preservation Project

Malcolm X house

The Malcolm X Archaeological Project is a joint venture between Project We Hope, Dream, and Believe and Wayne State University’s Department of Anthropology.

Beginning July 18 of 2022, excavations at the property began and concluded on July 23rd. Generating intense public intrigue, the excavations became a prime example of community-based archaeology, as dozens of volunteers joyously participated in the historical undertaking, while many more stopped by to observe. The excavations yielded a number of important historical items, including a coin dated “1952”- the year Malcolm arrived.

Malcolm X house

Inkster Roots

4336 Williams Street, in Inkster, Michigan was the home of Wilfred X. Little, the elder brother of Malcolm X and an official at the Nation of Islam’s Detroit Temple No. 1.

Malcolm was released from a Massachusetts prison on August 7, 1952 and joined his brother in Inkster, the following day. While residing in Inkster, Malcolm held several jobs, including, but not limited to work at Sam’s Cut-Rate Department store with his brother Wilfred, at Gar Wood Industries in nearby Wayne, where he worked as a grinder, as well as at the Ford Motor Company Lincoln-Mercury Stamping Plant, also in Wayne, among other places.

Malcolm X house

Why We Decided to Restore The Home

Malcolm X was an empowering national, civil rights icon and global human rights leader who profoundly shaped the struggle for racial justice in America and whose message continues to resonate, today. As such, our goal is to restore the home, which belonged to his brother Wilfred, to its original condition and to transform it into a museum that highlights Malcolm’s life, his civil and human rights work, and the history of his time in Inkster. Naturally, Wilfred’s story, an important historical figure in his own right and who was instrumental in Malcolm’s ascent, will also be conveyed in the museum.

Historical Recognition

On November 29, of 2021, the Wilfred and Malcolm X Home was officially recognized as an important and socially significant, cultural site and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, making it the first site in Inkster to be awarded this designation. More info can be read here.

Tareq Ramamdan and team in front of Malcolm X House

Our Plans For The Home

The goal of Project We Hope, Dream, and Believe is to renovate the home, in its entirety, and to restore the home to its original early 1950s glory. Additionally, the home will also double as a museum that highlights Malcolm’s life as a Nation of Islam minister, a civil and human rights leader, as well as his time in Inkster, where he was an active and well-known member of the community. In essence, the “Malcolm X Museum” will represent themes, materials, and important facets of Black history, American history, and Inkster history. This renovation and preservation project is supported through a $380,850 African American Civil Rights grant, provided by the Historic Preservation Fund, administered by the National Park Service, Department of Interior. The home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, #SG100007205 on November 29, 2021.

Future Plans

Malcolm's Home

In July 2022, Wayne State University, in conjunction with Project We Hope, Dream, and Believe also conducted archaeological excavations at the home- the contents of which will be displayed in future exhibits. Future plans include the construction of a “Malcolm X Learning Center” next to the home, which we hope will provide vocational opportunities, tutoring, and other educational resources for Inkster’s youth.

Mission Statement

Project We Hope, Dream, and Believe is dedicated to honoring and preserving Malcolm X’s former home, his life, his legacy, and his history, through documentation, community engagement, and education.

Our Vision

At Project We Hope, Dream, and Believe, we are committed to the social, cultural, economic, educational, and political uplifting and empowerment of our community, especially our youth, through the fostering of regular communal engagement and inclusive community-building activities. We hope to enhance our collective standing, we dream for a more equitable future, and we believe in utilizing all the ideas, resources, and opportunities available in order to achieve our goals as an organization.

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