In honor of Black History Month 2022 and the irreplaceable legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Metro Detroit leaders gathered for the “A Great Day on MLK” Detroit photograph.
The photo consisted of 22 Detroit leaders from the Education community, Non-Profit organizations, Government, Business, the Creative Arts community and more. The picture was inspired by the iconic “A Great Day in Harlem” photo taken in 1958 by Art Kane that featured influential jazz musicians such as Count Basie, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie and Sonny Rollins standing in front of a New York City brownstone. Esquire magazine commissioned the photograph.
The “A Great Day on MLK” photo was taken along MLK BLVD in Detroit, MI to highlight a group of men and women in the Detroit area who are upholding the values of Dr. King, especially his final call to improve the community as written in his book “Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?” In the book, Dr. King urges readers to focus on issues such as education, income, social and housing inequality in urban cities. A special Thank You must be given to our photographer Morgan McDonald of RED by Morgan. Check out her amazing work here.
Click on the arrows on the left and right edges of the photos to see the full set of pictures.
For a list of photo participants and brief description of their work in the community please see below.
Commemorate this important moment in Detroit History by receiving the original A Great Day on MLK Detroit black & white photo digital images! Any donations $50 and over to the King Blvd Feature Film fund will receive the full set of digital images.
High School Principal, Passionately Living, LLC Owner
For 17 years her achievements in education and community outreach showcase her dedication to Dr. King’s mission. Currently serving as a high school principal, she positively impacts the lives of children in Detroit. As the proud owner of Passionately Living, LLC. She inspires the world to live passionately every day. Her organization provides insight on specific careers or lifestyles from successful individuals with the hope to encourage the next generation.
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
For over a decade Blake has worked in Child Welfare and Education. Serving as a Vocational Rehabilitation Coach, certified Life Coach or Mentor allows him to impact the next generation of leaders. Uplifting the youth of metro Detroit fuels everything Blake does. The outreach he supports as a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. or volunteer with The Manhood Project is meant to engage and elevate the Beloved Community Dr. King called us to love.
Founder, CEO – Princess to Queens
*Nicole was unable to attend the photoshoot. Christina Hardy represented her during the photo.
The mission of Princess to Queens is to empower young ladies to “live motivated, inspired, and enriched lives in obedience to the instruction of Jesus; to be women who seek Him for direction in all areas of their lives as they live to glorify Him and be examples to others of His love.” Just as Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of having a life of breath, depth, and length, Nicole believes her program starts the plan for a life complete with those components.
Psychologist | Speaker | Assistant Professor - University of Michigan
Answering Dr. King’s call to serve others, Dr. Anderson is a scholar, activist, and practitioner who has dedicated her career to serving the Black Family. Her clinical practice—Engaging, Managing, and Bonding through Race (EMBRace)—is a novel treatment that addresses the historical and contemporary racism that impacts Black families. She has commented on issues such as race, trauma, discrimination, and mental health in over 100 local, national and international media outlets.
Chief People & Impact Officer
Tiffany believes to truly manifest Dr. King’s dream, we need to create a world of unlimited opportunity and equitable access defined not for our children, but by them. Over the course of 11 years serving in high level leadership roles at Teach For America and now GSV Ventures Tiffany is committed to providing excellent education and access in urban areas. She has also dedicated time to support equity focused organizations like The AI Education Project, Joyce Ivy Foundation, Boys Hope Girls Hope of Detroit, and Black Family Development Training Institute.
Management Consultant
An avid champion to erase the knowledge gap among underserved youth and more affluent young people, Woodward mentors youth through various initiatives that allow him to act as a change agent. Woodward’s community service endeavors provide exposure to lucrative pathways and opportunities to gain impactful training for the next generation.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Director
Continuing Dr. King’s fight for the underserved, Jonathan is a champion for women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. Through his unique coaching, speaking, training and workshops he develops generations of strong leaders through transformative conversations that inform and inspire college students and young professionals.
Forgotten Harvest, CEO
Kirk’s life and career have been an extension of Dr. King’s belief that all men were created equal and that each person in our society deserves the same rights. Each day at the non-profit food rescue organization Forgotten Harvest, he and his team collect food that would otherwise go to waste and delivers it free of charge to organizations feeding the hungry in Metro Detroit.
King Blvd Movie Actress
Jay is proud to help continue the mission of Dr. King by acting in the upcoming King Blvd Feature Film. She is passionate about uplifting the community and social justice, frequently serving at Detroit community functions, and working on local political campaigns. Jay has cultivated her talents in the Modeling Industry with features in Jet Magazine or Teasers Boutique in Detroit, MI. Now voyaging into the acting world, Jay has appeared in several films including the successful urban drama film Dear Future Husband.
Neurologist
A personification of Dr. King’s dream of equality for those underrepresented, Steven is proud to display progress in the medical field. Seeing the success of his father who also worked as a physician, drives him to provide that same feeling to our entire community. The community service work he does is meant to inspire the next generation of medial leaders.
Author | Educator
One of the main ideals that Dr. King embodied was selflessness. He understood that the mission of collective Black progress was vital for the future. This mindset fuels Jerjuan as he works to inspire the youth of Detroit. In his recent book “A Message to Black College Students” he encourages students to use whatever skills set they have for the advancement of the collective Black community. His role as an Academic Interventionist allows him to assist in improving academic achievement of urban students in Detroit.
Educator
As an educator and community member Quan seeks to build upon the ideals of the Beloved Community Dr. King spoke of in his teachings. In 2009 he founded In Demand, an initiative with the goal of attracting more Black men to education as teachers, mentors, and volunteers. Also in 2009, he launched Lyricist Society, an after-school program with the purpose of empowering students to use their voice and talents to create the narrative about themselves and their city.
IMAGINE Mentoring Program, Founder
Just like Martin Luther King had a dream to change the world so that we can all live better lives and live a life of freedom and unity, Latonya Garth has one too… A dream to change the world one girl at a time; teaching them to live in freedom everyday by loving the person that God created them to be and loving the people around them. This non-profit works to increase self-esteem in young people and equip them with the tools they need to make a positive impact in their communities.
Black Girl MATHgic, Founder and General MATHager
*Brittany was unable to attend the photoshoot. Veneda Sanders represented her during the photo.
Dr. King once stated, “Intelligence plus character–that is the goal of true education.” Brittany’s Black Girl MATHgic is proudly continuing this legacy. Black Girl MATHgic is a movement to increase math confidence, agency, enthusiasm, and fluency in children, with a focus on girls and Black children, who are disproportionately impacted by math anxiety. With over 4000 products shipped, her efforts help build confidence and character in the next generation of math enthusiasts.
The Manhood Project, Founder
Photo placement note: Standing 4th from Right, Back Row
A passionate youth advocate, Phil is committed to providing young men an outlet to be heard and grow in a safe and supportive environment. Phil shares Dr. King's insistence of developing not just our skills but also our character. The Manhood Project is a coaching and personal development program designed to maximize the positive qualities of young men, while minimizing their temptations to engage in at-risk behavior.
Author | Non-Profit Executive
Photo placement note: Standing 3rd from Right, Back Row
For 15 years Antoine has led a career path that reflects the vision and ideals of Dr. King. An ordained minister, author, motivational speaker, and nonprofit executive, Jackson serves his fellow man. As a strategist, facilitator and social innovator Antoine leverages business, community, and philanthropic resources to affect change and impact the lives of youth and families.
King Blvd Movie Actor
Photo placement note: Standing 2nd from Right, Back Row
One of Highland Park’s biggest advocates, Dez Cortez has championed his community and Metro Detroit for many years, upholding Dr. King’s desire to enhance our urban cities. Whether mentoring youth at local schools or developing community enrichment programs Dez believes in the impact of the next generation. He is also an accomplished actor. His latest film Dear Future Husband is performing well on Amazon, Tubi, UrbanFlixTV and other streaming platforms.
Mentor and College Liaison
Photo placement note: Standing 1st from Right, Back Row
Winston’s work with Midnight Golf empowers and exposes youth in Metro Detroit to brighter futures. Very similar to Dr. King's call for equality, especially in education, Winston helps young people to enroll in college and broaden their scope on the world. He believes his work is vital to the uplifting of a historically underserved population.
Photo placement note: Sitting 4th from Right, Front Row
Photo placement note: Sitting 3rd from Right, Front Row
King Blvd Movie Director, Writer, Producer
Photo placement note: Standing 2nd from Right, Front Row
Earl is inspired by the way Dr. King gave a voice to the voiceless. These voiceless individuals often live in struggling urban cities like Detroit and must navigate systematic challenges as Earl did growing up on Detroit’s west side. To help change the future Earl is now using the creative arts to bring light to a need for change. The upcoming King Blvd Feature Film will entertain, uplift, and showcase how to improve our urban cities around America.
Bridging Neighborhoods Program, Director
Photo placement note: Standing 1st from Right, Front Row
Rico has worked to uplift communities of color, as Dr. King set out to do. The Bridging Neighborhoods Program reduces blight, strengthens neighborhoods through housing stabilization, and increases the quality of life for Detroiters. Whether it is voter registration campaigns, mentoring several thousand youth as a Youth Development Professional or volunteering thousands of hours to help senior citizens, Mr. Razo is proud to serve his community.
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