Photo credit: Ernest Dixon II
By: Jasmine West
Nearly a century after Dr. Violet T. Lewis founded what would become Michigan’s only historically Black college, Detroit has formally placed her name on the city’s calendar.
May 27 is now Violet T. Lewis Day in Detroit.
The city made the declaration Wednesday during a ceremony at Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design, known as PLC Detroit, where a representative from Mayor Mary Sheffield’s office presented the official proclamation to Dr. Violet Ponders, the granddaughter and namesake of Dr. Violet T. Lewis. The recognition honored Lewis as an educator, entrepreneur, and civic leader whose work opened doors for generations of Black students seeking professional training, economic mobility, and a place to belong when opportunity was often denied.
For Detroit, the moment carried history that still feels present.
Dr. Violet T. Lewis founded Lewis Business College in 1928, during an era when Black Americans, and Black women especially, faced deep barriers in education, business, and employment. She later moved the school to Detroit in 1939, where it became a vital institution for Black professional advancement. Over the decades, Lewis Business College educated more than 20,000 students and built a legacy rooted in access, discipline, skill, and possibility.
That legacy was brought back into public view in 2022, when Dr. D’Wayne Edwards revitalized the institution as Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design. The school was reestablished as the nation’s only design-focused HBCU, while preserving Lewis’ name and the institutional history she built.
“We are honored to celebrate Violet T. Lewis’ legacy and continue the mission she began,” said Dr. Edwards. “This declaration reflects the transformative power of education, opportunity, and institutional impact.”
The ceremony drew about 250 to 300 guests, including civic leaders, educators, students, creatives, entrepreneurs, community members, and partners connected to PLC Detroit’s growing work across education, business, culture, and design. Organizations and companies represented included the Gilbert Family Foundation, Apple, Carhartt, StockX, Nike, and adidas.
Guests arrived wearing shades of violet, turning the celebration into a visual tribute to Lewis’ name and legacy. Inside, the program included storytelling activations and commemorative experiences honoring her life’s work. Fixins Soul Kitchen also curated a violet-hued specialty beverage for the occasion, adding a community-centered touch to the gathering.
As guests left, they received violet flower seeds and customized planters, a simple but meaningful gesture tied to the continued growth of Lewis’ vision.
For Dr. Violet Ponders, the recognition was personal and historic.
“My grandmother believed deeply in the power of education to create opportunity,” said Dr. Ponders. “To witness the City of Detroit formally recognize her contributions in the community where her work impacted thousands of lives is deeply meaningful.”
The declaration comes as conversations continue across the country about the importance of preserving Black educational institutions and honoring the people who built them. HBCUs have long served as engines of leadership, culture, professional training, and economic mobility. PLC Detroit now carries that tradition into design, footwear, fashion, business, and creative industries where Black talent has shaped culture for generations, often without equal access to ownership or leadership.
Violet T. Lewis Day will now be observed annually in Detroit as a recognition of Black educational achievement, institutional vision, and the lasting role historically Black institutions play in shaping opportunity.
For a city with a long Black educational and entrepreneurial history, the declaration is also a reminder that legacy does not preserve itself. It has to be named. It has to be taught. It has to be carried forward.
On May 27, Detroit did that for Dr. Violet T. Lewis.
