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 the Muslim and Arab-American community in Detroit since the 1960s.
Detroit Historical Society
audio/WAV
en-US
Sound
Allan Ranusch
Allan Ranusch was 11 years old and lived in the lower east side of Detroit in 1967. He remembers when looters broke into the neighborhood convenience store, snipers, and the damage to his neighborhood.
Detroit Historical Society
08/23/2016
Detroit Historical Society, Detroit, MI
Text
en-US
Written Story
Alvin Woods
Detroit Historical Society
07/14/2017
Detroit Historical Society, Detroit, MI
Text
en-US
Written Story
Amne Talab, November 17th, 2016
In this interview, Amne Talab shares her memories of the summer of 1967 in Detroit and Highland Park when she was eight years old.
Detroit Historical Society
6/29/2017
Audio/Mp3
Detroit Historical Society, Detroit, MI
Angela Smith
Angela Smith recalls being a child and witnessing looting and later National Guardsmen in Detroit in July of 1967.
Detroit Historical Society
03/13/2016
Detroit Historical Society
Text
en-US
Written Story
Angelo Sherman
A painting and explanation from Angelo Sherman who was a child in 1967.
Detroit Historical Society
08/26/2016
Detroit Historical Society, Detroit, MI
Image
Text
en-US
Painting
Written Story
Anita Gibbs
Anita Gibbs was a child in 1967 and remembers the atmosphere and confusion of the city while the police searched her house.
Detroit Historical Society
09/30/2016
Detroit Historical Society, Detroit, MI
Text
en-US
Written Story
Anita Hadley, July 5th, 2016
In this interview, Hadley discusses her childhood in Detroit, and her feeling of safety within the city. She then discusses her experience during the unrest, and how her entire family was fearful for their safety. She emphasizes that many of the shops and stores she enjoyed visiting as a child were burned to the ground and never rebuilt. She also explains why she moved out of the neighborhood and her issues with Detroit today.
Detroit Historical Society
07/29/2016
Detroit Historical Society, Detroit, MI
audio/WAV
en-US
Oral History
Ann Byrne
Ann Bryne was a child in 1967 and remembers watching the adults around her react to what was happening that summer.
Detroit Historical Society
02/17/2017
Detroit Historical Society, Detroit, MI
Text
en-US
Written Story
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 also explains racial relations within the city as well as the Detroit Police Department, and how that had an effect on him personally.
Detroit Historical Society
08/05/2016
Detroit Historical Society, Detroit, MI
audio/WAV
en-US
Oral History
Brian Fountain, June 18th, 2016
In this interview, Fountain describes the unrest from a 12-year-old’s perspective. For example, he recalls seeing two men carrying a new couch in the alley behind his grandparents’ house, and realizing the men had looted the furniture. He repeatedly compares the destruction–which he recalls vividly–to warfare, mentioning Vietnam gunfire and World War II bombing. The unrest also demolished his favorite hangout, Lucky Strike Bowling Alley, which was located on Grand River on the Boulevard.
Detroit Historical Society
11/01/2016
Detroit Historical Society, Detroit, MI
Oral History
en-US
Oral History
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.
Detroit Historical Society
10/04/2016
Detroit Historical Society
Text
en-US
Written Story
Christine Schulz
Christine Schulz was a child whose family owned a convenience store at Gratiot and Connor in July 1967. She recalls the fear and uncertainty her family felt during the unrest.
Detroit Historical Society
07/24/2015
Detroit Historical Society, Detroit, MI
en-US
Text
Southeast Michigan, Detroit, Gratiot and Conner Street
Christine Tomassini
Christine Tomassini recalls memories of being 11 years old in July, 1967.
Detroit Historical Society
07/17/2015
Detroit Historical Society, Detroit, MI
Text
en-US
Written Story
Monica Avenue, Detroit, Michigan
Cindy Overmyer
Cindy Overmyer was 12 in July 1967 when she and her family came home from a vacation. She remembers going to the store to buy supplies but seeing empty shelves and the feeling around the city.
Detroit Historical Society
08/09/2016
Detroit Historical Society, Detroit, MI
Text
en-US
Written Story
Daniel J. O'Brien
Daniel O'Brien recalls his experiences living along Eight Mile and witnessing racism and violence.
Detroit Historical Society
Detroit Historical Society, Detroit, MI
text
en-US
Daniel Jennings, June 19th, 2015
1967 riots-Detroit-Michigan
Breitmeyer Elementary School—Detroit—Michigan
Jennings, Daniel
looting
riots
Stanley’s Patent Medicine—Detroit--Michigan
In this interview, Jennings recounts the day his father, Reginald Jennings, was killed during the 1967 civil unrest. He also discusses growing up in Detroit and attending Detroit Public Schools in the 1960s and 70s. <br /><br /><strong>***Note: This interview contains profanity and/or explicit language. </strong>
Darryle Buchanan, December 13th, 2016
<p class="Normal1"><span>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 the unrest, his mother was transported to and from work by the police and National Guard, once in an armored personnel carrier. He recalls the events in great detail, remembering the smell of burning buildings “everywhere” and the constant police sirens which sounded like “wailing.” Buchanan discusses the importance of Twelfth Street as a site of black economic self-sufficiency, which he claims no longer exists, and will not exist in the near future despite the revitalization of Midtown and Downtown Detroit.</span></p>
<br /><strong>***This interview contains profanity and/or explicit language</strong>
Detroit Historical Society
02/03/2017
Detroit Historical Society, Detroit, MI
Audio/WAV
en-US
Oral history
Debbie Remer
Debbie Remer describes being out of town and hearing about the disturbance in Detroit and the anticipation of coming home.
Detroit Historical Society
05/30/2016
Detroit Historical Society, Detroit, MI
Text
en-US
Written Story
Dominic Kevin McNeir, June 18th, 2016
In this interview, McNeir discusses growing up in Detroit and the normalcy of interacting with local celebrities. He also talks about his hope for the future of Detroit and its communities. In the events of 1967 he discusses returning home from vacation, only for his family to run right into the National Guard.
Detroit Historical Society
07/19/2016
Detroit Historical Society, Detroit, MI
audio/WAV
en-US
Oral History