Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School

Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School is a public magnet high school 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.[2] In addition it includes the three Wayne State University housing complexes that permit families with children (Chatsworth Tower, DeRoy, and University Tower).[2][3][4]

Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School
Address
Map
3200 East Lafayette Boulevard

,
Coordinates42°20′38″N 83°00′57″W / 42.34389°N 83.01583°W / 42.34389; -83.01583
Information
School typePublic magnet high school
School districtDetroit Public Schools
PrincipalDamian Perry
Staff57.00 (FTE)[1]
Grades9-12
Enrollment1,675 (2022-23)
Student to teacher ratio18.68[1]
LanguageEnglish
AreaUrban
Color(s)Gold and black   
MascotCrusaders

History edit

Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School was originally named Eastern High School. The first school building for Eastern opened in 1901 at the intersection of Mack Avenue and East Grand Boulevard.[5] b

In the fall of 1967 Eastern moved to a new building on East Lafayette and Mount Elliott,[5] and one year later was renamed Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School, after the civil rights leader's assassination in April 1968. The mascot name was changed at the same time from the Indians to the Crusaders. The original Eastern High building was demolished in 1982.[5]

In 2009, Detroit Public Schools became the beneficiary of a $500.5 million, voter-approved federal bond package. At almost $53 million, the MLK project was one of the largest components of the package.[6] The redeveloped Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School re-opened in September 2011, with almost 200,000 square feet of new space, and 47,000 square feet of altered and redeveloped space. The project turned the facility into a school that emphasized a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curriculum.[6]

In 2012 Kettering High School closed, and some students were rezoned to King.[7]

Extracurricular activities edit

Athletics edit

In 34 seasons (1984 to 2017), under Coach William Winfield, Jr., the Crusaders women's basketball program compiled 693 wins,[8] appeared in eleven Michigan High School Athletic Association championship finals (1985, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2016), winning the championship in 1985, 1990, 1991, 2003 and 2006.[9] Coach Winfield retired in 2018 due to illness, and died age 78 on March 13, 2021.[8]

In 2007, under Coach Jim Reynolds, the Crusaders football team became the first team from the Detroit Public Secondary Schools Athletic League to win a MHSAA Football Championship.[10] From 1989 to 2019, the King Crusaders appeared in seven Michigan High School Athletic Association championship games in four different divisions (1989(A), 1990(AA), 2007(2), 2015(2), 2016(2), 2018(3), and 2019(2)), winning the championship in 2007, 2015, 2016, and 2018.[11]

In 2006, King won the Detroit City League championship trophy in men's swimming and diving.[citation needed]

In 2008, the King High School marching band raised over $400,000 (including a sponsorship from U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton)[citation needed] to perform at the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.[12]

Notable alumni edit

References and notes edit

  1. ^ a b "Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "High School Boundary Map[permanent dead link]." Detroit Public Schools. Retrieved on October 2, 2011.
  3. ^ "Community Living Guide Apartments 2011 Archived 2012-12-24 at the Wayback Machine." Wayne State University. 12. Retrieved on October 2, 2011. DeRoy, University Tower, and Chatsworth Tower unfurnished apartments are approved for family housing."
  4. ^ "Contact Us General Office of Housing & Residential Life Archived 2015-07-10 at the Wayback Machine." Wayne State University. Retrieved on October 2, 2011. "Chatsworth Tower 630 Merrick Detroit, MI 48202" and "Helen L. DeRoy Apartments 5200 Anthony Wayne Drive Detroit, MI 48202" and "University Tower Apartments 4500 Cass Avenue Detroit, MI 48201"
  5. ^ a b c Bulanda, George (September 7, 2017). "The Way It Was – Eastern High School, 1907". hourdetroit.com. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Kopochinski, Lisa (January 1, 2012). "Detroit Public Schools Receives $500.5 Million in Federal Funding" (PDF). programmanagers.com. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  7. ^ Roy S. Roberts. "Detroit Public Schools" (PDF). Detroit Public Schools. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 4, 2014. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  8. ^ a b Booher, Christian (March 23, 2021). "William Winfield Jr., beloved Detroit King girls coach, 'believed in Black girl magic'". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  9. ^ "Michigan High School Athletic Association: Girls Basketball Champions 1973-2020". mhsaa.com. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  10. ^ "Michigan High School Football Conference Standings Since 1950". 2008. Archived from the original on October 19, 2008. Retrieved November 24, 2008.
  11. ^ "Michigan High School Athletic Association: Football Yearly Champions 1975-2019". mhsaa.com. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  12. ^ Montemurri, Patricia (July 23, 2008). "Travelin' band: Students aim for China and their dreams". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on March 31, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  13. ^ Haugh, David (November 11, 2007). "Women in his life gems, solid as rocks". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  14. ^ Porter, David L. (2000). Biographical Dictionary of American Sports: A-F. Greenwood Publishing. ISBN 9780313311741. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  15. ^ "Roy Banks Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
  16. ^ Farrell, Perry A. "Detroit King's Dequan Finn flips to Toledo after Central Michigan firing". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2022-08-18.
  17. ^ "John Fuqua". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  18. ^ "The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Immaculate Reception: 40 Years Later". bleacherreport.com. April 23, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  19. ^ McCabe, Mick; Dunlap, Keith (December 14, 2018). "Meet the 2018 Free Press' All-Detroit high school football team". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  20. ^ "Derrick Gervin". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  21. ^ "George Gervin". michigansportshof.org. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  22. ^ "Most cars sold by a salesman in a year". guinnessworldrecords.com. London, England: Guinness World Records. 2018. Archived from the original on May 10, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  23. ^ "Chris Greenwood". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  24. ^ Hunter, Branden (September 19, 2017). "How the cruel & unforgiving streets of Detroit swallowed up Reggie Harding". michiganpreps.rivals.com. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  25. ^ Pesch, Ron. "For 31 years, the Detroit Public School League Ran Its Own Tournament in the Shadows of the MHSAA, Its Stars Achieving Legendary Status In Exile" (PDF). mhsaa.com. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  26. ^ "Rod Hill". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  27. ^ "Ron Johnson". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  28. ^ "Sport: A Batter from the Pen". content.time.com. July 30, 1973. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  29. ^ "Avonte Maddox". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  30. ^ "Gerald McBurrows". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  31. ^ "Kerwin Moore". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  32. ^ "Nick Perry". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  33. ^ Friedman, Emily. "Teen Confesses To Molesting Sister, Dad Executes Him". ABC News. Retrieved 2022-01-10.
  34. ^ "Karon Riley". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  35. ^ "Ernest Shazor". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  36. ^ "Michigan High School Track & Cross Country: Whatever happened to. . .?". michtrack.org. Archived from the original on May 12, 2009. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  37. ^ "International Boxing Hall of Fame: Emanuel Steward". ibhof.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  38. ^ Lancaster, Rob (July 7, 2015). "5 Fighters Who Owe a Debt of Gratitude to Trainer Manny Steward". bleacherreport.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  39. ^ "Michael Taylor". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  40. ^ Helen Thomas (May 3, 2000). Front Row at The White House: My Life and Times (link to Ch. 1). Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9780684868097. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2021. I was a sophomore at Eastern High School in Detroit and my English teacher liked a story I'd written and had it published in the school newspaper, The Indian. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  41. ^ "Kevin Vickerson". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  42. ^ "Kevin Vickerson". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  43. ^ "MHSAA: Records-Boys Track and Field Individual Champions". www.mhsaa.com.
  44. ^ McGraw, Bill (November 30, 1997). "Coleman A. Young: Long-powerful mayor shaped Detroit, confronted critics and fought for racial justice". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on March 9, 2005. Retrieved April 4, 2021.