#NationalMichiganDay this year corresponds with Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I was happily surprised to find some important and interesting connections between Dr. King and the state of Michigan.
The federal holiday marks Dr. King’s birthday, January 15th. The nation celebrates it on the third Monday of January. This year, he would have been ninety years old. Think of the celebrations that would be happening if he were still alive! 90!
King had several connections with the state of Michigan. He debuted the iconic “I have a dream speech” in Detroit in June 1963 – months before the historic March on Washington.
According to the Michigan Radio website it was part of the “Great Walk to Freedom,” a practice run for Washington, D.C. Over 125,000 people traveled down Woodward Avenue, led by King himself. Other figures who accompanied the crowd included the father of Aretha Franklin, a chair in the Detroit Council for Human Rights, several Michigan politicians, and union leaders such as Walter Reuther. At the time, King referred to the event as “one of the most wonderful things that has happened in America.”
Dr. King led the march and shed light on the status of African Americans in northern industrial cities. Organized by the Detroit Council on Human Rights (DCHR), the Walk to Freedom was the largest civil rights demonstration in the nation’s history. You can read more about the specifics of the march in Detroit at the Walter P. Reuther Library website.
For 2MyHero, Michigan boasts abundant support for our US Navy and US Marine Corps in particular. Prudenville Westland, Melvindale, Lambertville, Novi, Mt. Pleasant, Ida, Farmington Hills, and Wells are all cities whose families with a Sailor, or Marine have purchased 2MyHero cards on Amazon or Etsy in the last couple of years. I wonder if the predominantly US Navy orders have anything to do with the fact that the Navy’s only training base for enlisted recruits is just across Lake Michigan in Great Lakes, Illinois.
This is where civilians become Sailors. While other training facilities raise up Naval Officers, Great Lakes is where all enlisted recruits begin. They go on to specific training elsewhere, but this is the first stop. The Navy Recruit Command Facebook page posts live stream videos of each graduation. They typically last a couple of hours. The pageantry and symbolism on display are truly remarkable.
In these times of social distancing, families are unable to attend the graduation ceremonies as they once did. But they can still express their pride and admiration for their new Sailor by sending them one or more of the fitting graduation and encouragement military greeting cards from 2MyHero. For families with new recruits heading to basic training in the coming year, the mixed pack of 6 offers a fantastic saving and is a wonderful gift for the spouse, mom, dad, or grandparent.
2MyHero mixed packs of graduation, encouragement, Drill Instructor Thank You, and birthday cards are available for all 5 branches. USMC A Marine Now is a very popular item as well. Customers love the savings and the breadth of occasions included in the packs.
I want to thank the families and communities in Michigan that have said “yes” to 2MyHero and faithfully support our troops. I know that your Airmen, Soldiers, Marines, and Sailors are thankful for your encouragement as well. Handwritten messages sent in an appropriate military greeting card are always appreciated and treasured. Some will hold onto these special gifts for the entire time of their military service. Maybe even beyond their military service.
If you’re from Michigan please comment below with a “hooyah” if you love a Sailor, “oohrah” if you love a Marine, “hooah” if you love a Soldier, or “aim high” if you love an Airman. Let me know what part of the state you’re from and which branch of the military your hero is either actively on duty with or a Veteran of. You can also connect through our contact page on the website.
You can find 2MyHero on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook. I’d love to meet you in cyberland and learn more about what you need to help you stay connected with your military people.