Rep. Darany offered the following resolution:

House Resolution No. 181.

            A resolution to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Detroit Walk to Freedom.

            Whereas, It is with great respect that the members of this legislative body are proud to

join with the citizens of Michigan in remembering this historic event and the heroic actions that served as a catalyst for justice and equality; and

            Whereas, Including an estimated 125,000 participants, the legendary Detroit march was labeled the "largest civil rights demonstration in the nation's history [to date]" by the Detroit Free Press; and 

            Whereas, On June 22, 1963 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood before 25,000 people at Cobo Hall in Detroit and declared, "I have a dream" following the historic Woodward Avenue march; and

            Whereas, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Walk to Freedom served as an example of non-violent, civil disobedience that became an exemplification of change when advocating for human rights and dignity while advancing an end to discrimination; and

            Whereas, These actions and the civil rights movement led to the passage of Civil Rights Act of 1964, which removed the status of legal discrimination against racial, ethnic, and religious minorities, and guaranteed equality under the law; and

            Whereas, The success of the Detroit Walk to Freedom enthused the historic March on Washington on August 28, 1963, both of which inspired an end to racial segregation in the United States; and,

            Whereas, The Detroit Walk to Freedom participants'  bravery and determination highlighted the strength of non-violent protest and became a facilitator for change, not only in Michigan, but across the nation as well; and

            Whereas, A commemorative march will be held in Detroit, Michigan on June 22, 2013, in honor of the original Walk to Freedom.  Participants will march the same historic Woodward Avenue route people walked in 1963 in remembrance of the struggle for justice and equality that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other participants of this momentous event advocated for; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body commemorate the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Detroit Walk to Freedom.