50 years later, the Detroit riots endure as another painful legacy of American history

Jul 28, 2017

It has been 50 years since the horrific and history-making Detroit Riots took place.

In 1967, Detroit police raided an “illegal after-hours club” in a predominantly African-American neighborhood. The operation incited a riot that lasted five days, as residents fought back against what many perceived as a legacy of unlawful abuse.

Historians have indicated the event became one of the deadliest and most destructive riots in modern history – leaving 43 dead, over 1,000 injured and resulting in thousands of arrests and destroyed buildings.

Of the 43 killed, 33 were black. Twenty-four of the black victims were gunned down by police officers and National Guardsmen.

Although 50 years has passed, the city is still haunted by the core issues that sparked the protest in the first place. According to NPR, the 1967 uproar only fast-tracked financial capital and white residents out of Detroit.

The city filed for bankruptcy in 2013 and continues to suffer from population decline and high unemployment rates. U.S. News declared it No. 1 out of ten of the “worst” big cities to live in.

“The irony is that today working-class poor black people (in Detroit) are worse off than they were in 1967,” Sheila Cockrel told NPR.

Cockrel, a Detroit activist and city council member, indicated the riots led to the election of the city’s first black mayor, Coleman Young (1974-1994). Today, many see the city of Detroit as ripe for a renaissance, entrepreneurship and investment.

Director Kathryn Bigelow’s film Detroit introduces a new generation to the story behind the rebellion. The award-winning director (Hurtlocker, Zero Dark Thirty) focuses on what led up to the murder of three men at the Algiers Motel during the height of the riot and the shocking aftermath of the court case.

Detroit highlights the deeply embedded systemic racism at work during the time. Check out the official trailer below: