Early Sunday morning on July 23, 1967, Detroit police officers raided an after-hours drinking club at the corner of 12th Street and Clairmount. They expected to find two people inside. Instead there were 82 people celebrating the return of two friends from the Vietnam War. The police decided to arrest everyone, setting the stage for the most violent four days in Detroit history.
As soon as the last police car had left, a group of angry men who had witnessed the arrests broke the windows out of the clothing store next door. Within a few hours a riot had broken out in the neighborhood and soon spread to other parts of the city. Police couldn't stop the violence. Willie Horton of the Tigers grew up near 12th and Clairmount. After the Tiger's game he even drove into the center of the riot and stood on the hood of his car wearing his baseball uniform. Still no luck.
By Monday night President Johnson sent Federal troops into the city but it wasn't until Friday that the fighting had stopped and Saturday that the troops were withdrawn.
By July 29, 43 people had died and more than 7,000 people had been arrested.
The youngest victim was 4 year old Tonya Blanding. She was accidentally killed by gunfire from a tank when her father lit a cigarette in their apartment.
Unfortunately the 1967 riots became the face of Detroit. From film footage to the cover of Time Magazinie, Detroit became known as a city on fire.
There were different reasons for the riots. One of the most pronounced was racism. I really believe that our church is strategically positioned in Metro Detroit to bring healing to the sins of our city. That starts with racism. Roots of racism can be traced all the way back to Henry Ford's influence on Detroit. It could be that racism is our original sin.
Detroit continues to suffer the legacy of the race riots by remaining one of the most segregated cities in the country.
Today is an opportunity for us to remember our city's wounds, pray for healing, and recommit ourselves to loving her back to health.
amen.
well said.
thank you.
Posted by: Chilly... | July 24, 2007 at 12:55 AM