Martin Luther King High School (Detroit)
Martin Luther King High School (Detroit)
| Martin Luther King High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
3200 East Lafayette Boulevard Detroit , | |
| Coordinates | 42°20′38″N 83°00′57″W [28] |
| Information | |
| School type | Examination School of Choice |
| School district | Detroit Public Schools |
| Principal | Deborah Jenkins |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 1,338 |
| Language | English |
| Area | Urban |
| Color(s) | gold and black |
| Mascot | Crusaders |
| Rival | Cass Technical High School |
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. High School is located at 3200 East Lafayette Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan; the building is operated by the Detroit Board of Education. King's district encompasses Downtown and Midtown Detroit; it also includes Lafayette Park, the Martin Luther King Apartments and Riverfront Condominiums. The Brewster-Douglass Housing Projects were zoned to MLK prior to their demolition.[1] In addition it includes the three Wayne State University housing complexes that permit families with children (Chatsworth Tower, DeRoy, and University Tower).[1][2][3]
| Martin Luther King High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
3200 East Lafayette Boulevard Detroit , | |
| Coordinates | 42°20′38″N 83°00′57″W [28] |
| Information | |
| School type | Examination School of Choice |
| School district | Detroit Public Schools |
| Principal | Deborah Jenkins |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 1,338 |
| Language | English |
| Area | Urban |
| Color(s) | gold and black |
| Mascot | Crusaders |
| Rival | Cass Technical High School |
History: 1901-1968
The school was originally known as Eastern High School. It opened in 1901, with three teachers and 300 students, at the intersection of Mack Avenue and East Grand Boulevard.
Throughout its history, Eastern High was an interscholastic sports juggernaut – particularly during the 1960s. Eastern High was always a contender in football, but it was only in 1953 when they won the championship outright and went on to play the West Side in the Goodfellow Game. In addition to producing several outstanding athletes in track and swimming, the Eastern Indians won four consecutive Detroit City League men's basketball titles, from 1959 to 1962).[4]
In September 1967, Eastern High School relocated to 3200 East Lafayette Boulevard, bordering historic Elmwood Cemetery and within walking distance of Detroit's central business district. In September 1968, Eastern was renamed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Senior High School, the school colors were changed from orange and black to gold and black, the school nicname was changed from the Indians, to the Crusaders.[5]
History: Since 1968
Over the past twenty-six seasons, The Crusader women's basketball program, coached by William Winfield, has appeared in eleven Michigan High School Athletic Association championship finals – winning on five occasions" in 1985, 90, 91, 2003 and 2006.[6]
In 2006, ML King Jr. High School won the Detroit City League championship trophy in men's swimming and diving.
In 2007, the King Crusaders, coached by Jim Reynolds, became the first team from the Detroit Public Secondary Schools Athletic League to win a MHSAA Football Championship.[7]
During 2008, King High School's marching band raised over $300,000 (including sponsorship from U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton) to perform at the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.
One of the largest components of the 2009 Detroit Public Schools' $500.5 million-dollar bond construction program was the MLK Project. At a cost of $46.4 million, the redeveloped Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School re-opened in September 2011. The school emphasizes a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curriculum.
In 2012 Kettering High School closed, and some students were rezoned to King.[8] In 2017, King was marked for closure by the State of Michigan due to its poor academic performance from 2014 to 2016.[9] An agreement between the state and the Detroit Board of Education saved the school from closure.[10]
Notable alumni
Coleman A. Young (1934) first served in State House of Representatives, later becoming a Michigan State Senator; Mayor of Detroit from 1974 to 1994, the first African-American; outspoken person who lobbied at all levels for City of Detroit
Helen Thomas, journalist.
Joe Altobelli (1950) All-City basketball, football and baseball player for Eastern Indians; he enjoyed several successful seasons of Major League Baseball as a player and as manager of 1983 World Series champion Baltimore Orioles.[11][12]
Joe Girard author, speaker and "The World's Greatest Salesman" as recognized by Guinness Book of World Records
Reggie Harding (1961) first-team Parade Magazine All-American in 1961; led Eastern to three consecutive Detroit Public School League basketball championships; three-time All-State selection, drafted out of high school by Detroit Pistons; played four seasons in the NBA[13][14]
Emanuel Steward (1962) boxing trainer who trained world champions such as Thomas Hearns, Hilmer Kenty, Lennox Lewis and others; inductee in International Boxing Hall of Fame; was dedicated to changing lives of young men and women through sport
Bill Yearby (1962) won shot put event at 1962 MHSAA Track and Field Finals[15] Upon graduation from EHS, Yearby became an All-American football player at the University of Michigan; he also played professionally with the New York Jets.[16]
Lou Scott (1963) one of America's top distance runners during 1960s; won Michigan Track and Field Athlete of the Year honors in 1962 and 1963; competed for Arizona State University; won silver medal in 5000 meter run Pan American Games in 1967; the following year, by virtue of his third-place finish at Olympic Trials, competed in 5000 at 1968 Summer Olympics[17]
John "Frenchy" Fuqua (1965) achieved collegiate football stardom as running back for Morgan State University, then played eight seasons with NFL's New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers; while with the Steelers, Fuqua become part of NFL lore as intended receiver for quarterback Terry Bradshaw's pass that sports historians refer to as the Immaculate Reception[18]
Ron LeFlore, Major League Baseball player for Detroit Tigers, two-time stolen-base champion zin 1978 and 1980; did not play baseball for high school or graduate[19][20]
George Gervin (1970) former professional basketball player and member of Basketball Hall of Fame; in 1997, was voted one of NBA's 50 Greatest Players[21][22][23]
Rod Hill (1977) played collegiate football for Kentucky State University; selected in first round of 1983 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys; played 11 professional seasons, six in NFL and five with Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League[24]
Kerwin Moore (1989) former MLB player (Oakland Athletics)
Nick Perry (2008), linebacker for NFL's Green Bay Packers; played collegiate football for the USC Trojans football
Steven D. Townsend (2001), Professor of Chemistry at Vanderbilt University[25][26]
Avonte Maddox, cornerback for NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles[27]