Rebuilding of historic Alabama home with MLK ties begins at Greenfield Village
Officials say the Jackson House is expected to open to the public in 2026.
Jawana Jackson, daughter of Jackson House homeowners Dr. Sullivan Jackson and Richie Jean Sherrod, speaks at a site dedication ceremony at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Mich. on Aug. 8, 2024.
A piece of civil rights history from Selma, Alabama has found a new home in Dearborn’s Greenfield Village.
The Jackson House was owned by Dr. Sullivan and Richie Jean Sherrod Jackson, who opened their doors to those fighting for civil rights — including Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Related: MLK Jr. biographies reveal an intimate look into life of the civil rights icon
Many leaders worked, strategized and collaborated inside the Jackson House during the 1960s.
Reverend Dr. Wendell Anthony, president of the Detroit Branch of the NAACP, talked about the significance of the house during a site dedication ceremony at Greenfield Village last week.
“It’s a house where the freedom movement was discussed and strategized with Dr. King and many of his allies,” Anthony said. “They watched an observed Lyndon Banks Johnson sign into law the Voting Rights Act [of 1965]. It’s a place where Ralph Bunche and Dr. King, two Nobel Laureates…talked about the struggle for freedom.”
Officials say the Jackson House is expected to open to the public in 2026.
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