Author Sharon Elizabeth Sexton’s New Book, “MLK Jr.’s Detroit Dream Memoir of a Civil Rights Foot Soldier,” Encourages Generations to Talk About African American History

Detroit, MI, December 19, 2023 --(PR.com)-- Sharon Elizabeth Sexton, the only daughter of Lieutenant Colonel (retired) William N. Sexton Sr. and Josephine E. Adams-Sexton of Detroit, Michigan, has completed her new book, “MLK Jr.’s Detroit Dream Memoir of a Civil Rights Foot Soldier”: a memoir that puts, in chronological order from a child’s point of view, the events, major personalities, triumphs, and tragedies in American history from the time of the Detroit Dream March in 1963 until Dr. King’s tragic death in 1968.

Because of her father’s military affiliation, as a child, author Sharon Elizabeth Sexton traveled with her parents and brother, living in Europe and Asia. After the Sexton family settled in Detroit, Michigan, Ms. Sexton’s love of writing, telling stories, and interpreting history began.

During her senior year of high school, Ms. Sexton won the Miss Black Teenage America Pageant, 1971–1972. She was then even more dedicated to uplifting her people. With a degree in racial and ethnic studies and another in telecommunications from Michigan State University, Ms. Sexton developed her award-winning television investigative reporting skills to research African American history around the country. After twenty years in broadcasting, Ms. Sexton moved her engaging storytelling way to reconstruct African American history into other disciplines, which included monument building.

In 1996, Ms. Sexton initiated the concept of building two monuments dedicated to the underground railroad on both sides of the Detroit River, one in Canada and the other in the USA. She then created and led a nonprofit organization, the International Underground Railroad Monument Collaborative, to partner with Detroit 300, which built the two monuments. The Gateway to Freedom (USA) and The Tower of Freedom (Canada) were dedicated to the Underground Railroad for Detroit’s three-hundredth founding anniversary in 2001.

Ms. Sexton, also a documentary filmmaker, has produced and directed an internationally acclaimed anthology of Detroit’s early African American history entitled Black Bottom and Paradise Valley, the Forgotten Legacy. Over the years, Ms. Sexton has authored several articles about African American history for national newspapers and magazines. She has also developed a youth-orientated elementary school presentation to engage youth in social action activities. Ms. Sexton is passing her skills on to the following generations by teaching young adults with an interest in their ancestors and her investigative techniques for researching black history.

As co-founder and the executive director of research for the Michigan Underground Railroad Exploratory Collective (MUREC), which is affiliated with the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, and as the current Chairperson of the Black Historic Sites Committee, which is affiliated with the Detroit Historical Museum, Ms. Sexton will continue to produce positive, accurate, and informative African American history presentations for future generations.

Ms. Sexton writes, “As a young person, my portal into the outer world was through the television screen. My mom bought a set of TV-trays so I could eat in the family room while watching television. My grandma said my mom was spoiling me. Grandma told my mom that she was using the television to babysit me, and that the violence on television was a bad influence. Mostly out of respect, I couldn’t tell grandma she was wrong. The fact of the matter was, I just liked to watch television, and I watched everything. Cartoons were my favorite, and I must admit that I loved spinach because Popeye-the-Sailorman got his superpowers from a can of spinach! I also watched game shows, kid shows, old monster movies, nature programs, comedy sitcoms, and I really liked television westerns.”

Published by Newman Springs Publishing, Sharon Elizabeth Sexton’s remarkable tale was inspired by young children who were mesmerized by the oral recitation of author Sharon Elizabeth Sexton’s memory of when Dr. King came to Detroit and delivered his first version of the “I Have a Dream” speech.

Readers who wish to experience this extraordinary work can purchase “MLK Jr.’s Detroit Dream Memoir of a Civil Rights Foot Soldier” at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iBooks Store, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Newman Springs Publishing at 732-243-8512.

About Newman Springs Publishing:

Newman Springs Publishing is a full-service publishing house for serious authors. Each title produced by Newman Springs Publishing undergoes every step of the professional publishing process, including editing, layout, cover design, circulation, distribution, and publicity. All titles are made available in both eBook and print formats. Newman Springs Publishing distributes to tens of thousands of retail outlets throughout North America and internationally. All manuscripts in any genre are welcome to be submitted for review; If the manuscript meets the necessary criteria and is accepted for publication, Newman Springs Publishing will work closely with the author to bring the book to the retail market for a relatively inexpensive initial investment.