Malcolm X's Inkster home receives historical marker, unveiling Oct. 18

Restoration nears end on Malcolm X's Inkster home with new historical marker

Malcolm X lived in the Inkster house on Williams Street in the 1950s with his brother and his brother's family.

INKSTER, Mich. (FOX 2) - A little-known piece of Metro Detroit history is one step closer to being ready for the public to tour.

The backstory:

The house where famous Civil Rights leader Malcolm X lived in Inkster is being restored and is almost completely rehabbed.

Malcolm X lived in the Inkster home in the 1950s with his brother and his brother's family.

On Monday FOX 2 got a sneak peak of the historic marker in the front yard, which has yet to be unveiled.

Aaron Sims is from the nonprofit group We Hope, Dream and Believe.

"Now we have the historical marker, on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 12:00 noon we will be unveiling the historical marker," he said.

For the past few years the nonprofit has been working hard to rebuild and restore the house to what it was like when the Civil Rights leader lived there.

When they acquired the house, it was in major disrepair.

"A guy who was homeless and was living here," said Sims. "The living room, it caught on fire. So all of this was torn out and then rebuilt."

Nation of Islam leader Malcolm X draws various reactions from the audience as he restates his theme of complete separation of whites and African Americans. The rally outdrew a Mississippi-Alabama Southern Relief Committee civil rights event six block

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FOX 2 interviewed Caiden Griffin about the project back in May.

"It’s like oh my God I just stepped somewhere where Malcolm X stepped," he said. "It’s like a lot of history in here that people don’t know about."

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And now the historical marker is in place.

"Every little step he was texting me like the poles are in the ground, the sign is up it was just that moment to say we’re here," he said. "We're finally here."

The unveiling of the historical marker is open to the public — it will be Saturday at 12 noon, 4336 Williams Street.

The house restoration is expected to be completed within the next couple of months. There will be a big push in promoting the new officially recognized historical site this February for Black History Month and because the anniversary of his assassination was Feb. 21 - adding to the significance.