Ask Michael Grace to talk about the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and he is more than happy to discuss the history of the venerable civil rights organization, whose first president was Dr. Martin Luther King. But while Grace enjoys sharing his appreciation of the SCLC’s rich legacy, he is quick to point out that the organization and its mission are far from being a thing of the past.
“The Civil Rights Movement is not dead,” said Grace, president of the SCLC’s Michigan chapter. “If anyone thinks we’re going to stop agitating, they better think again. And there’s more to today’s Michigan SCLC than civil rights.”
Headquartered in Detroit, the Michigan SCLC is celebrating its 40th year of service to the community. With the help of grant funding and community and corporate donors, including Comerica Bank, the nonprofit organization addresses a wide range of issues including health and access to health care, education, financial literacy, economic empowerment, conflict resolution, voter registration and youth development.
“What we’re all about today is reviving the commitment to the organization, restoring the vision and renewing hope in the community,” Grace said.
His passion for the Michigan SCLC is no surprise given that Dr. Claud Young — the organization’s founder and first president — was his mentor. A former personal physician to Dr. King, Dr. Young also answered the call to serve humanity as a central figure in the early Civil Rights Movement. While the roots of the movement were firmly planted in the South, Dr. Young saw the need for concerted activism in the North. Driven by his vision, in 1970, the man once described by Dr. King as “one of the most prominent Afro American physicians in the United States,” founded the Michigan SCLC.
Since its creation, the Michigan SCLC has been dedicated to promoting social, economic and political justice.
I must honor what my president and chairman, Dr. Young, mandated to me and that is to move the agenda forward,” said longtime Michigan SCLC board member Louise Guyton, who also is vice president of Public Affairs at Comerica Bank. Like Grace, Guyton is a protégé of Dr. Young.
Guyton, who serves on the Michigan SCLC board, ensures that the organization’s important work continues by hosting committee meetings at one of her homes away from home, Greater Burnette Baptist Church, on Detroit’s west side. The Thursday evening meetings illustrate the organization’s deep connection to area churches.
“SCLC works with more than 350 churches and every day that number grows,” Grace said. “What SCLC does is act as a conduit; we bring the critical issues of service organizations into the pulpit where those issues can be heard and addressed by our faith-based community.”
An example of how the Michigan SCLC works together with vital community institutions is a partnership launched with Detroit Public Schools this year, which has resulted in 5,000 students making a pledge to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly.
“The story of the Civil Rights Movement was written in our schools and that’s why we are excited to be able to partner with Detroit Public Schools,” Grace said. “Our ‘Stomp Out Childhood Obesity’ program is an extension of First Lady Michelle Obama’s ‘Let’s Move!’ initiative, and we have been signing up students in schools and churches.
“In today’s society we must get involved with our schools. We work with Detroit Public Schools, we work with charter schools, wherever we can make a difference, we are here to help.”
On Saturday, Jan. 15 — the weekend of the Michigan SCLC’s annual Martin Luther King holiday celebration — a recognition program will be held at Cass Technical High School honoring the students who have taken the health pledge. That same month Grace expects the Michigan SCLC to launch a 13-week financial education curriculum targeting ages 8-19, with classes hosted at area churches as an after-school alternative.
The commitment to innovative programs addressing today’s issues makes members like Deborah Edwards excited about the organization’s future.
“To whom much is given, much is required,” said Edwards, a Comerica vice president who became an active Michigan SCLC member in 2002. “In addition to giving financially, I believe in lending my time to assist the organization’s efforts to educate youth and adults.”
Grace gives praise to the Michigan SCLC’s core group of roughly 100 members, which includes dedicated men and women who have been active with the organization since its inception. But he adds that there is always room for more committed members on any good team.
“The purpose of our organization has always been to lift up those who have been denied the American dream,” Grace said. “I urge the community to get involved with the Michigan SCLC, because we’re a service organization for the people, and we’re stronger when we have numbers. We may compromise on strategy and tactics, but our objective should be the same — equal rights for all.”
To learn more about the Michigan Southern Leadership Conference, please visit www.michigansclc.org.