Dr. Ossian Sweet - Commemorating the 100th anniversary of his courageous stand against racist violence, a defining moment in civil rights history.

We are proud to feature Dr. Ossian Sweet on the Detroit Then & Now series, a figure whose resilience and courage profoundly shaped civil rights history. Born in 1895, Dr. Sweet rose against the confines of his era to become a respected physician. His defiant stand against racial segregation in 1925, when he moved his family into a predominantly white neighborhood in Detroit, marked a pivotal moment in the struggle for equal housing rights. The legal battles that followed his defense of his home against a violent white mob set precedents that echoed through the halls of justice nationwide. On this site, we celebrate Dr. Sweet's legacy, exploring his life's work and its lasting impact on our fight for justice and equality.