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Sheila Shelton, June 23rd, 2016
In this interview, Shelton discusses what it was like growing up on the northeast side and how she and her sister were injured in a looting incident in the events of 1967. She discusses what it was like to meet various icons in the city and how…
Clarence Reed, October 25, 2016
In this interview, Clarence Reed discusses his memories of first moving to Detroit and his altercations with police in the Fifties and Sixties. He remembers his participation in the Kercheval Incident in 1966 and then talks about his memories of the…
David Bruce, October 19th, 2016
In this interview, Bruce focuses primarily on his experience as a Black Detroit Police Officer during the 1967 unrest. He was at the blind pig on 12th and Clairmount the night it was raided, and discusses the racism that plagued the Detroit Police…
Dr. Tommie Johnson, September 22nd, 2016
In this interview, Johnson discusses growing up in Detroit and her experiences during both the 1943 and 1967 disturbances.
Wayne Davidson, August 30th, 2016
In this interview, Wayne Davison discusses growing up in the Jeffries Projects, moving to Cleveland, and returning to Detroit in 1965. On July 23, 1967, he was attending a Motown revue at the Fox Theatre.
Bob Hynes, September 21st, 2016
In this interview, Hynes recalls his experience covering the unrest as a reporter for Channel 7 the day after the outbreak of the disturbance. He also discusses his interviews with local and state leaders in response to the unrest. Despite being…
Lee Begole, June 22nd, 2016
In this interview, Begole recounts his father's time serving in France, his own childhood on East Grand Boulevard, his time serving in World War II and the day the Allies marched into Rome. In 1967, he was the Director of Public Safety in Novi, MI. …
Richard and Janice Powell, June 23rd, 2016
In this interview, the Powells discuss Detroit during their childhoods and their perception of Detroit at the time. They then move to discuss the changes they noticed in the city in the years before 1967, such as the increased popularity of drugs as…
Mac Douglas, August 31st, 2016
Douglas primarily discusses the racial dynamics within the Detroit Police Department as well as community and police relations. As one of few Black officers, he recalls several anecdotes and practices that illustrate the discrimination within the…
David French, August 20th, 2016
In his oral history, French provides many anecdotes from the two weeks he served as a member of the National Guard during the 1967 unrest. He recalls participating in riot training with the Detroit Police Department the weekend prior to the outbreak…
Carrie Davis
Carrie Davis was a child in the summer of 1967 and remembers the feelings and sights of the week of July 23. 1967.
Maureen Kramer
Maureen Kramer was a secretary at the Detroit Police Department in July of 1967.
Anita Gibbs
Anita Gibbs was a child in 1967 and remembers the atmosphere and confusion of the city while the police searched her house.
John Colling, August 31st, 2016
In this interview, Colling discusses growing up on the west side of Detroit and his experiences during his studies at Wayne State. Upon graduation, Colling was offered a job in the Public Relations Department in the city of Detroit and worked as a…
Kenneth Volk, July 6th, 2016
Kenneth Volk was a vice president of the National Bank of Detroit the summer of 1967. He remembers going to work the week of July 23 and being sent to the other branches to see how they were doing.
Michael Goodman, June 25th, 2016
In this interview, Goodman discusses growing up in Detroit, where his parents owned pawn shops. He also discusses his work with Neighborhood Legal Service Centers and the time he spent working in Detroit Recorder's Court during the events of July…
Alfred Murphy, June 27th, 2016
In this interview, Murphy discusses his move to the Detroit area and serving in World War II with his brother. He also discusses joining the Detroit Fire Department and his experiences during the 1967 unrest.
Richard Viecelli, August 12th, 2016
Viecelli discusses the 1967 disturbance from a police officer’s perspective, which he considers not a riot, but a “baby war.” He was stationed at Kiefer Command Center, where he tracked incoming and outgoing calls for the police. Notably, Vicelli…
Michael "Doc" Holbrook, August 15th, 2016
In this interview, Michael shares the differences between living in the north and south, coming of age as a black male in Detroit, living during the time of the 1967 unrest, and his observations of the city past and present.
Hubert Locke, August 17th, 2016
In this interview, Locke discusses working his work at the Detroit Police Department during 1967. He also describes the tension between government and the department, along with frustration between citizens and the Detroit Police Department. Locke…