On this day in 1943, we reflect on the 1943 march in Detroit against Jim Crow laws and celebrate the birth of James Vernor Sr., creator of Vernor's Ginger Ale, born in 1843. Vernor's ginger ale became a beloved Michigan staple with its "Deliciously Different" flavor. This march was particularly significant for those contributing to the war effort at Willow Run Airport.
TRANSCRIPT
In 1943, in the midst of World War II, one of the largest marches to end the discrimination and segregation of Jim Crow laws in Michigan, particularly for those contributing to the War effort at the Willow Run Airport, took place in Detroit.
And today in 1843, the creator of a certain Michigan staple was born. Originally from Albany, NY, his parents moved to Detroit during his youth where he worked at the Higby and Sterns Drug Store and would experiment with making beverages. He went off to serve in the Civil War, and as the tall tale goes, upon his return, one of his experiments on a ginger ale had aged to be “Deliciously Different” a slogan from James Vernor Sr, creator of Vernor’s Ginger Ale born today in 1843.