1967 Detroit riot

1967 Detroit riot
Phil Cherner (email: phil@philcherner.com ; website: www.philcherner.com). · CC BY-SA 2.5 · source
Name	1967 Detroit riot
Date	July 23 – 27, 1967
Place	Detroit, Michigan, United States
Deaths	43
Injuries	over 1,000

1967 Detroit riot. The 1967 Detroit riot, also known as the 12th Street riot, was a violent confrontation between Detroit Police Department and African Americans in Detroit, Michigan, United States. This event was one of the deadliest and most destructive riots in the United States during the Civil Rights Movement, with Martin Luther King Jr. and Thurgood Marshall closely following the developments. The riot led to the deployment of the Michigan National Guard and the United States Army's 82nd Airborne Division under the command of General William Westmoreland and President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Background

The Great Migration of African Americans from the Southern United States to Detroit during World War II led to significant social and economic changes in the city, with many settling in Paradise Valley and Black Bottom. The city's population grew rapidly, with African Americans facing segregation and discrimination in housing, employment, and education, as seen in the experiences of Rosa Parks and Malcolm X. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, aimed to address these issues, but the implementation was slow, and tensions continued to rise, with Stokely Carmichael and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee advocating for more radical change. The Detroit Police Department, led by Commissioner George Edwards, was largely composed of white Americans, which contributed to the strained relationships between law enforcement and the African American community, as noted by Hubert Humphrey and Robert F. Kennedy.

Causes of the riot

The immediate cause of the riot was a police raid on an after-hours bar at 9125 12th Street, known as the Blind Pig, where a party was being held for two returning Vietnam War veterans, Melvin Dismukes and John Lee Hooker. The Detroit Police Department had been monitoring the bar for some time, and the raid was an attempt to enforce liquor laws and curfews, as part of the War on Crime initiated by President Lyndon B. Johnson. However, the raid was poorly executed, and it sparked a confrontation between the police and the patrons, which quickly escalated into a full-scale riot, with SCLC and NAACP leaders, such as Ralph Abernathy and Roy Wilkins, calling for calm. The riot was also fueled by underlying social and economic issues, including poverty, unemployment, and housing segregation, as highlighted by Michael Harrington and the National Committee for Full Employment.

The riot

The riot began on the morning of July 23, 1967, and it quickly spread throughout the city, with looting, arson, and violence erupting in multiple locations, including Downtown Detroit and Midtown Detroit. The Detroit Police Department was initially overwhelmed, and the Michigan National Guard was deployed to assist in maintaining order, under the command of Governor George Romney and General Creighton Abrams. The United States Army's 82nd Airborne Division was also deployed, with General William Westmoreland and President Lyndon B. Johnson closely monitoring the situation, as well as J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI. The riot lasted for five days, resulting in the deaths of 43 people, over 1,000 injuries, and widespread destruction of property, with Henry Ford II and the Ford Motor Company providing support for the relief efforts.

Aftermath

The aftermath of the riot saw a significant increase in community organizing and social activism in Detroit, with organizations such as the Detroit Urban League and the NAACP working to address the underlying issues that contributed to the riot, as noted by Bayard Rustin and A. Philip Randolph. The Kerner Commission, established by President Lyndon B. Johnson and led by Governor Otto Kerner Jr., was tasked with investigating the causes of the riot and making recommendations for preventing similar events in the future, with input from Saul Alinsky and the Industrial Areas Foundation. The commission's report, released in 1968, identified racism and poverty as the primary causes of the riot and called for significant investments in education, job training, and housing programs, as advocated by Walter Reuther and the United Auto Workers.

Investigation and trials

The investigation into the riot was led by the Detroit Police Department and the FBI, with J. Edgar Hoover and President Lyndon B. Johnson closely monitoring the progress, as well as Robert Kennedy and the United States Department of Justice. Several trials were held, including the trial of Melvin Dismukes, a security guard who was accused of killing a looter, and the trial of the Detroit Police Department officers involved in the raid on the Blind Pig, with Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund providing legal support. The trials were widely publicized, with Walter Cronkite and CBS News providing extensive coverage, as well as Mike Wallace and 60 Minutes. The investigation and trials highlighted the need for police reform and community policing initiatives, as advocated by Hubert Humphrey and the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders. Category:Riots in the United States