Browse Items (29 total)
Sort by:
James VanVlerah, September 27th, 2016
In this interview, Vanvlerah briefly discusses growing up on Detroit's west side. In July 1967 he was an engineer at the Delray Power Plant, where workers were called in to stay on premises for the duration of the disturbance.
JoAnne Werbrouck, August 20th, 2016
JoAnne Webrouck remembers growing up in Detroit and after training, she got a job taking reservations for Hilton Hotels in downtown Detroit. During the week of July 23, 1967, she used the unexpected day off of work to peruse wedding venues before…
Frank DiMaria, August 11, 2016
In this interview, DiMaria discusses his childhood growing up on the east side of Detroit and his memories from the week of July 23, 1967. His brother was a musician who played at a bar on July 22 and later in the week the two drove downtown to…
Henry Heatley, August 12th, 2016
Henry Heatley began working for the Bell Telephone Company when he was 18 years old. He worked throughout the week of July 23, 1967 and discusses the political climate then and now.
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.
Ronald Navickas, August 23rd, 2016
Ronald Navickas was an employee of an armored truck company in 1967. He discusses his childhood in Highland Park and his memories of the week of July 23, 1967. He talks about why he moved and his impressions of the city when he returned and how he…
Greg Smigielski
Greg Smigeilski was a manager at the A&P on West Grand Boulevard and Linwood the summer of 1967.
Tamara Perrin
Tamara Perrin worked for the Michigan Bell Telephone Company and was a single mother living above a white woman in July of 1967.
Esther Middlewood
Esther Middlewood worked as a communication specialist for the US Army Tank Command in Warren. She and her parents lived in Detroit and she remembers seeing the destruction in her neighborhood in July of 1967.
Frank Boscarino, August 2nd, 2016
In this interview, Boscarino describes how he came to own his business in Detroit and his relationships with his (primarily black) customers. He tells of how his customers called him when the unrest started and assured him that they were protecting…
Harvey Greig, July 14th, 2016
In this interview, Greig relates how he first heard about the events of July, 1967; his week at work as an essential personnel member at AAA in Detroit; and his experiences driving to and from work.
Marvin Myers, July 7th, 2016
Marvin Myers opened a corner store on Grand St. and Linwood one week before the unrest in 1967. He discusses the impact the week had on his store as well as later altercations with customers. He also briefly mentions his time serving in the Korean…
James Boucher, June 29th, 2016
Boucher narrates the unrest from the experience of a commuter. He recalls taking the train from Ann Arbor to Detroit–where he worked at the National Bank of Detroit on Woodward–and noticing that the normally bustling finance district was deserted.…
Sharon Schafer, June 25th, 2016
In this interview, Schafer discusses growing up in Detroit and the importance of the Michigan Bell Telephone Company during the 1967 disturbance. She also discusses changes in Detroit since the 1960s.
Tom Shipley
Tom Shipley was a student at Schoolcraft College who worked at a local gas station during the summer of 1967. He remembers the gas rationing and how his uncle asked his dad to bring alcohol for his workers who were accustomed to buying some after…
Sandra Smith, May 16th, 2016
In this interview, Smith discusses growing up around Detroit, and how she sought to be an active member of the Detroit community. She also talks about her experience at the family-owned dry cleaners during the unrest. More specifically, she talks…
Donna Palmer, August 11th, 2015
In this interview Donna Palmer discusses her experiences living in Detroit over the past sixty years. From her childhood in Corktown to her apartment on Clairmount, Donna discusses her ups and downs in the city. Living only blocks away from Twelfth…
George Ramsey, October 10th, 2015
In this interview, George discusses his early memories of the 1943 Detroit riots and his memories of growing up along Hastings Street and then Twelfth Street. After discussing his experiences during the unrest, George chronicles his experiences as a…
Harold Stone, July 25th. 2015
In this interview, Harold Stone recalls his memories of living in the city during 1967. He also describes living across the Metro area where he recalls his experiences with integration. In addition, he discussed how race affected his job…