INKSTER, Mich. (WXYZ) — A historic Inkster home where Malcolm X once lived remains closed to the public nearly a year after the preservation project's leader said it would open, prompting questions from local residents about the restoration's progress and timeline.
Watch Evan Sery's video report:
The home at 4336 Williams Street, where Malcolm X lived briefly in the early 1950s, has been undergoing restoration since 2021 when Aaron Sims' nonprofit We Hope, Dream, and Believe received nearly $400,000 in grant money for the project.
Last April, Sims told reporters the historic Malcolm X home would be open to the public by May. However, the facility remains closed to regular visitors.
Related Story: A look inside Malcolm X's Inkster house
"I think on that part, that's where a mixup has become," Sims said.
Sims clarified that his intention was to celebrate Malcolm X's May birthday by showing people the progress, even though it wasn't a completed project.
"To show people, to come out and celebrate Malcolm's birthday even though it wasn't a completed project, we wanted people to come out and see the progress," Sims said.
The home, once completely dilapidated, has undergone significant restoration work. In 2024, the State of Michigan awarded the nonprofit an additional $80,000 to help finish the project.
However, Milton Hunter, a local contractor born and raised in Inkster, has raised concerns about the home's current condition and the quality of work completed.
"This is not professional, not $80,000 worth of work," Hunter said.
Hunter pointed to maintenance issues, including damaged siding from the 1950s that has blown down.
"Like this is a piece of asbestos mimicking siding from 1952 that blew down, because they're not keeping it up," Hunter said.
"This community has questions and concerns about the house and the condition it's in right now," Hunter said.
Sims maintains he visits the property nearly every day to address issues and allows people to tour the home by appointment.
"Like even when we did the historical marker for the house, work being done but we opened the house up for people to come in, you just gotta let me know in advance you wanna come see the house," Sims said.
The original plans also included building a community center next door where children could learn skilled trades. However, Sims said he later learned the city wouldn't allow him to build another structure adjacent to the home. He now hopes to beautify the space instead.
"They were supposed to build something on the side and it's not there," Hunter said.
Sims said he won't provide any more timelines for the future museum, citing the unpredictable nature of historical restoration work.
"You can't give a timeline on something historical like that because you never know the hiccups you'll run into. It's always going to be an ongoing progress," Sims said.
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