VICTIMS OF THE 1967 DETROIT RIOT
Frank Tridico
SooNews, Canada
Sept 24 2006
The Detroit Riot began after multiple arrests at a nightclub. After
the arrests, a small group of men began to vandalize adjacent
establishments. From this point, looting and fires spread through the
Northwest side of Detroit, then crossed over to the East Side. Within
48 hours, the National Guard was mobilized. On the fourth day of the
riot, the 82nd airborne had to be called in to quell the masses. As
police and military troops sought to regain control of the city,
violence escalated. Forty-three people died as a result of the
violence.
The Stories of the Victims
Below is a word by word account from a historical website detailing
the numerous victims who died in the Detroit Riot of 1967. It is
quoted directly (without editing) from the site. For brevity, I’ve
included one of the circumstances involving one of the persons who
died. Readers can read the rest of the accounts by clicking VICTIMS
Krikor Messerlian Victim One
"Armenian born, Krikor Messerlian had heard of auto plant jobs in
America, from native villagers sending back word to his country
from America. On July 10, 1920, the British High Commissioner in
Constantinople, signed documents that would allow then, twenty-year-old
Messerlian to travel to America.
Messerlian, was known by fellow factory employees as, George. He
was a small man, standing about 5 feet tall and weighing around 100
pounds. He disliked the factory work so much, that he quit working
there to become a shoe repair man. He lived a quiet bachelor life,
and spent long hours reading Armenian and Greek books at the library.
His first repair shop was located on Brush Street, in Detroit, and
Messerlian, had originally had no problems with his patrons. During
the 1940’s as the area became more run down and violent, Messerlian
was involved in a confrontation with an armed African-American youth,
who came into his shop, demanding money.
Messerlian tried to get to his .45 he kept behind the counter, but the
gunman interferred. He struck Messerlian in the head with his gunbutt,
and left him lying on the floor of the shop.
It was at this time, his relatives persuaded him to leave Brush Street,
and he took up shop on Linwood Avenue, only a few blocks from Twelfth
Street. At the time, this was a middle-class neighborhood, and many
times, Messerlian would leave his store, with his front door open.
But as the area around Linwood began to change, he was one of the
few merchants who intended to stay in the area. He had faced violence
before, and stated to his nephew, that he wasn’t afraid of anyone.
On Saturday, July 22, 1967, Messerlain remembered that his niece was
to be married the very next day. He had only $20 left of his Social
Security check and went to the dry cleaning shop next door to borrow
an additional $25.
By the next morning, trouble was already brewing in the area, on
Twelfth Street. The lady who had overseen the dry cleaners next
door to Messerlain, called to check on the store. He reported that
everything was fine. She called again at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m.,
and 2:00 p.m. Things were still quiet. Half of an hour later, a
gang of African-American youths came down Linwood and stopped at the
dry cleaners.
Messerlian, who hadn’t learned to back down from a hostile situation,
appeared with his 20-inch saber in hand. He was told to get out of
the way, but refused. The youths, broke windows, and began looting
the shop.
Messerlian began to swing his saber, and caught a boy across the
shoulder. The stunned youth, walked away from the shop, bleeding
perfusely.
>From across the street, people living in their homes, were watching
the distrubance from their porches. Then, suddenly, the shoeman
was lying on the sidewalk, and standing above him was a young man,
clubbing him with what they thought was a table leg. They yelled for
the boy to stop before he killed the old shoeman.
Some of the boy’s friends tore the club from his hands, and the group
ran down the street. Messerlian laid motionless on the sidewalk.
At the hospital, it was reported that he suffered from fractures of
the right leg, jaw, left arm, and skull. He had numerous abrasions and
damage to his abdomen and neck. He died 5 days later, on July 27, 1967.
(On August 14th police arrested a twenty-year-old man who had come
to Detroit from Alabama, only six weeks before.)
Throughout the afternoon of July 23rd, the Governor, George Romney
and Mayor Cavanagh watched in fear as the disturbabces continued.
At 4:20 p.m., the National Guard was called to Detroit. In less
than one hour news came, that the police were unable to contain the
looting and burning on Twelfth Street, the looting taking place on
Grand River, or crowds and looting that had been reported as "out of
control" at Joy Road and Grand River.
Homeowners were forced to take up their own hunting rifles and guns
to stand guard as gangs of youths attempted to break into their homes.
They banded together to protect the firefighters, trying to control
the situation, however fires spread from stores to homes, and rows
of well-maintained homes on Pingree Street were destroyed.
The National Guardsmen began arriving about 7:00 p.m. and by 12:00
midnight, 4,000 of them covered the streets. Looting had spread along
every West Side main street. Stores were torched, as police rushed
from one looting scene to another."
The Second Part of Jeanne Massey’s Interview
Jeanne Massey was pregnant when she was witness to one of the largest
riots in American history. She recalls going through visions of horror
as chaos ensued around her. In an exclusive interview, she gave a first
hand account of what it was like on the ground in the 5 days of rioting
that left 43 people dead, 1,189 injured and led to over 7,000 arrests.
The following is the second part of my full interview with Jeanne
Massey, who was 18 years old and pregnant at the time of the riots.
She gives a full account of what she witnessed.
How Detroit Changed After the Riot
I asked Jeanne Massey how the events of the civil unrest altered the
short and long-term identity of Detroit, Michigan.
"The most prominent change in Detroit was coined in a new term ‘white
flight’. The major supermarkets deserted Detroit, the neighborhood
Mom and Pop candy stores left, and dividing line was drawn at Eight
Mile Road. We bought out home on Mansfield Street in 1970. The day
we moved in the white family next door put a for sale by owner sign
up in the front yard."
Vivid Recollection
I asked Massey to identify the one one instance that is embedded in
her memory that she experienced during the riot.
"The one image I will forever have embedded in my mind, is army tanks
with the National Guard turning east on Joy Road coming from Grand
River. Hundreds of people began running to take cover in our homes. I
remember praying and holding my fingers entwined under my stomach
for support as I as fast as I could since I was eight months pregnant."
The Road to Equality
Massey was asked how the Detroit Riot of 1967 coincided (if at all)
with the Civil Rights Movement that shaped the course of American
history.
"The Detroit Riot of 1967 may have been an outcry of frustration at
the slow progress of the Civil Rights Movement. When we look back and
remember that Rosa Parks, the so-called mother of the Civil Rights
movement was arrest in 1955 for refusing to give up her seat on a
bus and still 8 years later, the same struggles existed. The period
from the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the murders of
Martin Luther King, Bobby Kennedy and Macolm X marked a dark period in
our history. There seemed to be no charismatic leader able to unite
the masses to move forward with human rights. The riot was perhaps
a facet of the movement."
A Unique Identity
I asked Jeanne Massey if Detroit of that era was different than
other American cities. I also asked if Detroit is different today
than other American cities.
"Detroit is different from other American cities, in that the auto
industry provided an economic windfall to many middle class blacks
that were still limited as to the areas in which they were permitted to
live and go to school. Today, however, the economic base is beginning
to diversify and we are like more Midwestern cities."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress