On Saturday, September 7th, several dozens gathered at the Charles H. Wright Museum to celebrate the 6th annual tribute to the life and legacy of General Gordon Baker, Jr. (1941-2014), one of Detroit’s most significant labor and community activists. The event was also organized to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the League of Revolutionary Black Workers; an organization that General Baker and many more important Black activists created in the late 1960s to fight back against racism in both UAW ranks and leadership.  Semester in Detroit was fortunate to call General Baker a close friend during the first five years of our program (thanks largely to Lolita Hernandez, our retired “sister” and former faculty colleague).  

After several years of fundraising, in the fall of 2017, we awarded our first-ever General Gordon Baker Jr. Memorial Student Scholarship.  This fall, the selection committee chose to award a $1,500 scholarship to Jon Quintal (Junior at UM-Dearborn from Oakland, California) toward his participation in Semester in Detroit.  As he conveyed in his impromptu speech at the event, Jon Quintal’s values and perspective on the world clearly reflect the revolutionary activist spirit and legacy of General Baker.  We welcome you to consider making a gift to the scholarship fund, to buy a sweatshirt with the amazing 8-color mural reprint of General on the back (art by Nicole MacDonald), or to simply spread the word to your friends and family of General’s important historical legacy.