Historic Chair Used by Dr. King Unveiled at The Henry Ford on January 19 in Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation

DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- To honor and celebrate the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., The Henry Ford, for one day only, will unveil to the public a powerful and newly preserved artifact of the Civil Rights Movement: the floral upholstered living-room chair from the historic Jackson Home in Selma, Alabama — the very chair where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. sat during a pivotal moment in American history.

On Monday, January 19, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., visitors to Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation will have the opportunity to see this chair on public display for the first time, presented in the Museum Plaza as an emotional and symbolic centerpiece of The Henry Ford's annual MLK Day commemoration. Admission and parking to the museum will be free on January 19 in recognition of the holiday, inviting families, students and community groups to engage in a day of learning and inspiration.

In 1965, the Jackson Home served as a safe haven for Dr. King and others as they planned the 1965 marches from Selma to Montgomery — a defining chapter in America's fight for voting rights. Inside this home, Dr. King sat in this chair as he watched President Lyndon B. Johnson's televised address pledging federal action on voting rights, a moment that helped accelerate the passage of the Voting Rights Act.  Now carefully preserved and transported nearly 1,000 miles from Alabama to Michigan, as part of the institution's acquisition of the Jackson Home, it will be unveiled to the public for the first time before it is officially re-installed in the home, now being reconstructed in Greenfield Village and officially opening this June.

The unveiling of the chair is part of The Henry Ford's MLK Day weekend (January 17–19), which will feature a full schedule of programming honoring Dr. King's life and the broader Civil Rights Movement. Guests can experience musical performances, dramatic presentations, screenings, conversations, and other opportunities for reflection. In conjunction with the holiday, join us as we host New York Times bestselling author Dr. Jeanne Theoharis as she explores her newly published book King of the North: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Life of Struggle Outside the South in conversation with Amber N. Mitchell, Curator of Black History at The Henry Ford. For more information, please visit www.thehenryford.org.

About The Henry Ford
Located in Dearborn, Michigan, The Henry Ford, a globally recognized destination, fosters inspiration and learning from hands-on encounters with artifacts that represent the most comprehensive collection anywhere focusing on innovation, ingenuity and resourcefulness in America. Its unique venues include Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Greenfield Village, Ford Rouge Factory Tour, Benson Ford Research Center and Henry Ford Academy, a public charter high school. Together with its online presence at thf.org and Invention Convention Worldwide, the growing affiliation of organizations fostering innovation, invention and entrepreneurship in K-12 students, The Henry Ford is a force for inspiring every individual to innovate, create and invent.

SOURCE The Henry Ford