LANSING, Mich. (June 22, 2023) — Today, the Michigan Senate voted to pass Senate Resolution 62, sponsored by Sen. Mary Cavanagh (D-Redford Twp.), establishing June 23-29, 2023, as Grassroots Week in Michigan.
“This week serves as a reminder that grassroots movements mobilize the masses to participate in politics and our democracy every day. When local residents step up as leaders taking on the issues that matter most to the community, real changes occur,” said Sen. Cavanagh. “This resolution serves as a ‘thank you’ to all those who have dedicated their lives to advancing progress and making change in our great state.”
June 23 serves as the start of Grassroots Week in recognition of the 60th anniversary of the Detroit Walk to Freedom, when civil rights leaders joined Detroit city officials and community leaders to protest widespread racial injustice. Led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and then-Mayor of Detroit Jerome Cavanagh, grandfather of Sen. Cavanagh, the march was one of the largest civil rights demonstrations in Michigan’s history, with 125,000 participants. In a time of tension and opposition to the Civil Rights movement, Detroit leaders worked from the ground up to rise above the obstacles and bring people together to advance a shared goal.
Grassroots Week is a celebration of the victories of grassroots movements in Michigan’s past, present, and future and recognizes the power of people working for change.
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