Detroit Riots
Christina Frederick
Tony Spicer
English 121
11 December 2013
Second Chance through Destruction
“The 1967 Detroit riot marked a point in U.S. history at which racial tensions between African Americans and whites reached deadly proportions” (Greene & Gabbidon 195-196). Riots in Detroit have occurred before over issues such as race, economics, and justice. The first major riot in Detroit was in March 1863, caused by a trial of an African American man for rape, and was powered by the local press. After that, Detroit tried to avoid major civil violence for a long time. This occurred even when riots broke out in other major cities after World War I. Detroit was able to avoid large social disturbances until June 1943. During this time, there were poor housing conditions and racial tensions that caused a violent riot. Nine white people and twenty-five black people were killed along with destruction of millions of dollars of property. The city responded to this riot by creating a committee on racial relations, but violence only got worse (Kutler 21). Detroit has had some famous riots, but it is the not only city that has endured them.
The history prior to the Detroit riot in 1967 included racial tension, police brutality, and racial discrimination caused racial riots all over the state; including the Rochester and Philadelphia riots in 1954. There are many underlying causes of riots which include social, economic, and political tension between people. There were around four dozen riots and more than 100 smaller cases of civil disturbance in the United States in 1967, but the riots that occurred in Detroit were the most deadly. The events that lead to the 1967 Detroit riot were caused by social context. African Americans suffered barriers during this time in history including unemployment, lack of legitimate opportunities, geographical isolation from society, emotional isolation from society, and deindustrialization that caused many young, unskilled workers to lose
Tony Spicer
English 121
11 December 2013
Second Chance through Destruction
“The 1967 Detroit riot marked a point in U.S. history at which racial tensions between African Americans and whites reached deadly proportions” (Greene & Gabbidon 195-196). Riots in Detroit have occurred before over issues such as race, economics, and justice. The first major riot in Detroit was in March 1863, caused by a trial of an African American man for rape, and was powered by the local press. After that, Detroit tried to avoid major civil violence for a long time. This occurred even when riots broke out in other major cities after World War I. Detroit was able to avoid large social disturbances until June 1943. During this time, there were poor housing conditions and racial tensions that caused a violent riot. Nine white people and twenty-five black people were killed along with destruction of millions of dollars of property. The city responded to this riot by creating a committee on racial relations, but violence only got worse (Kutler 21). Detroit has had some famous riots, but it is the not only city that has endured them.
The history prior to the Detroit riot in 1967 included racial tension, police brutality, and racial discrimination caused racial riots all over the state; including the Rochester and Philadelphia riots in 1954. There are many underlying causes of riots which include social, economic, and political tension between people. There were around four dozen riots and more than 100 smaller cases of civil disturbance in the United States in 1967, but the riots that occurred in Detroit were the most deadly. The events that lead to the 1967 Detroit riot were caused by social context. African Americans suffered barriers during this time in history including unemployment, lack of legitimate opportunities, geographical isolation from society, emotional isolation from society, and deindustrialization that caused many young, unskilled workers to lose
Cited: Fine, Sidney. Violence in the Model City: The Cavanagh Administration, Race Relations, and the Detroit Riot of 1967. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, 1989. Print. Frederick, Chuck. Personal Interview. 02 December 2013 Greene, Helen Taylor, and Shaun L. Gabbidon. Encyclopedia of Race and Crime. Los Angeles: SAGE, 2009. Print. Henderson, David R. "Henderson 's Iron Law of Government Intervention: The 1967 Detroit Riot." Freeman 11 2011: 47-8. ProQuest. Web. 10 Dec 2013. Kutler, Stanley I. Dictionary of American History. New York: Charles Scribner 's Sons, 2003. Print. Meredith, Robyn. "5 Days in 1967 Still Shake Detroit." The New York Times 23 July 1997. Print. Mogk, John. "Aftermath Eclipses Detroit 's Riots." The Detroit News 25 July 2007. Print. Vance, Cyrus. "Special Assistant to the Secretary of Concerning the Detroit Riots July 23 Through August 2, 1967" 01 October 2008. Print.