Woodward Avenue

A few years ago, I had a remarkable day in Detroit.

I had two things on my plate:  First, I was to do a little research for Bob Darden, and then I was supposed to have lunch with Judge Avern Cohn.

Bob was working on his book about gospel music and the civil rights movement, and had a particular request.  The week before his "I Have a Dream" speech in DC, Martin Luther King had given a similar speech in Detroit.  Bob wanted to know who the gospel singers were who sang before the speech, and what songs they had sung.

I went down to what remains of the Detroit Public Library downtown, and went to the room where they store microfiche of the black newspapers.  I dug around and found remarkable reports of that day-- the astonishing speech, the crowds, the sense of change.  I made some copies for Bob, and became so lost in the project that I almost forgot about my lunch.

A little late, I raced down to the courthouse and up to Judge Cohn's chambers.  He greeted me warmly, and I told him about my project at the library.

He smiled and laughed, reached behind him and took a framed photo off the shelf.  It was a remarkable photo.  He was there with King, walking down Woodward Avenue, as the crowds followed.

I looked at the picture incredulously as he gathered his things to go.

What history are we witness to?  Are there still those moments?