Club Meeting Featuring Sharon Sexton, Author & Public Speaker

The meeting was presided over by President Nancy Darga, beginning with the Pledge of Allegiance and Victoria Haltom's exposee on the 2026 Chinese New Year, the Fire Horse. After Sharon Pommerville's Happy Bucks, Nancy reviewed Rotary’s future Action Plan “to develop leadership”.

Nancy made some closing remarks on the conclusion of the Buddhist’s Walk for Peace, as they completed 2,300 miles from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington D. C. What was impressive were the crowds that showed up at different locations to spur the Monks on and support their efforts to promote peace. The message that they conveyed was that world peace is possible, but only if each individual creates peace within themselves first.

Right in line with the message of peace was Erin Dobbin and Victoria’s recap of the workshop they attended on February 17 at Henry Ford College. Sponsored by the Rotary Action Group for Peace - Great Lakes Chapter (6380, 6400, 6600) on the topic of The Power of Thought: Critical Thinking as a Pathway to Peace, the focus was on exploring how critical thinking can foster understanding, resolve conflict, and promote equity.

Nancy Darga also attended a Zoom workshop sponsored by Rotary Int'l, titled“Peace Begins With A Conversation," given by Rotarian Scott Martin.

Nancy spoke about the changes to the look and feel of the City of Hamtramck. She participates in the Paczki 5K Run each year, a citywide celebration before Fat Tuesday. What Nancy emphasised is how Hamtramck has become a cultural melting pot for several ethnicities, especially Middle Eastern. She added that being a Rotarian has opened her eyes and made her more sensitive and aware to the world around her, something she was not as in tune with before.

Today’s speaker was in keeping with the observance of Black History Month (Feb. 1st - March 1st). Sharon E. Sexton is a historian and writer who published a book in 2023 called MLK Jr.’s Detroit Dream: Memoir of a Civil Rights Foot Soldier.

 The book is an autobiography of an African American black girl who was indoctrinated into the civil rights movement at the age of 8 when her father took her to downtown Detroit on Woodward Ave., to participate in King’s freedom march in 1963 and to hear King’s speech, given for the first time; “I Have a Dream...at Detroit’s Cobo Hall. Her book is available for purchase on Amazon.

Dressed in a vibrant mustard coloured ensemble, with her sweatshirt picturing the Rockwell character, Ruby Bridges, who became one of the symbols of the Civil Rights Movement, Sharon exhibited enthusiasm and passion for her interest in the history of the movement both through her own personal experiences, as an African American living in Detroit, and as a researcher of the history of the Civil Rights Movemen. Sharon’s most recent interest is in the Underground Railroad era (1820s -1865). Detroit served as the primary gateway to freedom for thousands of slaves by way of Canada. A Detroit and Michigan network of 200 secret safe-house “depots”, provided these enslaved people the way to freedom.

Sharon is currently doing extensive research on this topic and hopes to self-publish a book with the help of a GoFundMe account.

The meeting ended with some ‘Greg Greene’ jokes.

Victoria Haltom