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Alee Darwish, March 30th, 2015
In this interview, Darwish discusses growing up in a multi-ethnic community in Highland Park and the causes and effects of the 1967 disturbance, including the closing of the Highland Park Ford Plant and race relations. He also discusses changes in…
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.
Anita Gibbs
Anita Gibbs was a child in 1967 and remembers the atmosphere and confusion of the city while the police searched her house.
Anthony Fierimonte, October 10th, 2014
Former Detroit Police officer Anthony Fierimonte discusses his experiences on the force--including his role in the raid on the blind pig at Twelfth Street and Clairmont Street on July 23, 1967.NOTE: This interview contains profanity and/or explicit…
Arthur Divers, July 26th, 2016
In this interview, Arthur Divers describes what it was like living in his black community during the disturbance. He discusses the various businesses that existed before the disturbance, and how it has drastically changed the community since then. He…
Bessie Ernst Williams, June 16th, 2015
In this interview, Williams discusses growing up in a multi-ethnic community in Detroit and the causes and effects of the 1967 disturbance. She also discusses working in the Detroit school system and the changes that occurred over the years she both…
Betty Bright
Betty Bright planned to spend the day golfing on Belle Isle but it was closed. When she got home, she heard about the unrest and eventually learned that her cousin, Jerome Olshove, was killed.
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…
Bob Roselle, July 20th, 2015
In this interview, Roselle discusses being called into the mayor’s office to handle the civil response to the unrest, incidents that he saw and heard of, and his opinion on the response in general. He also discusses how the city has changed, what it…
Bruce Foster, August 19th. 2016
In this interview, Foster discusses how he felt visiting blues and jazz clubs in Detroit. He also describes an uncomfortable interaction when he was volunteering to pack lunches for police and troops.**NOTE: This interview contains explicit language…
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.
Carter and Nancy Grabarczyk, June 18th, 2015
In this interview, Carter Garbarczyk discusses his work covering the 1967 unrest for Channel 2 WJBK-TV. Nancy Garbarczyk discusses her father’s work as a sergeant for the Detroit Police Department during July 1967.
Cheryl Pierce-Reid, July 25th, 2015
In this interview Cheryl speaks of her upbringing in Detroit and her early years as a nurse at Detroit Receiving and Kirwood Hospital. She also recalls her time at nursing school and seeing the events of 1967 first hand.
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…
Crystal Edwards
Crystal Edwards remembers scenes from her neighborhood in July 1967.NOTE: Edwards' account was previously published inJuly 25, 2007 by the Michigan Chronicle - Volume 70, Number 45, called "Eyewitness Account of the 1967 Riot"and
Then published…
Darryle Buchanan, December 13th, 2016
In this interview, Buchanan discusses his experiences growing up primarily in Virginia Park during the 1960s. He notes the escalated police presence in the community, and details several anecdotes of police brutality he experienced as a child. During…
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…
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…
Dennis K. Laurion
Dennis Laurion recalls his experiences as a member of the Coast Guard stationed on Belle Isle during July 1967.
Dennis Nagy, July 12th, 2016
In this interview, Nagy tells of his upbringing on the east side of Detroit, his brief time in the army in Alaska, and his job in communications for the Detroit Police Department, where he was working during the summer of 1967.