Attendee to activist: Rev. Dr. JoAnn Watson’s life changed after the 1963 Detroit Walk to Freedom
Rev. Dr. JoAnn Watson, senior pastor of West Side Unity Church in Detroit, was 12 years old when her grandparents picked her up on a summer afternoon in June 1963. Little did she know that day she would find her passion for activism and purpose in life.
Her grandparents took her to the 1963 Detroit Walk to Freedom, the largest civil rights demonstration up to that point with 125,000 people attending, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King gave an early version of his “I Have a Dream” speech there before his famous national address two months later in Washington, D.C.
In commemoration of the 1963 Detroit Walk to Freedom, the Detroit Branch NAACP has organized a weekend-long slate of June Jubilee events June 22-25, including an unveiling of a Martin Luther King statue at Hart Plaza, the 60th-anniversary commemoration of the Freedom Walk, and the 68th annual Fight for Freedom Fund dinner at Huntington Place. The Freedom Fund dinner will feature keynote speaker U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia.
Reflecting on her experiences at the 1963 march and her career in public service, Rev. Watson shares her memories from that historic day and its impact on her life trajectory. Plus, they talk about Rev. Watson’s influence on the Melody American Girl doll and how people can commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Detroit Walk to Freedom.
Episode 754/Segment 1
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