“Detroit 1967 Project” Exhibit to Tell Story of City’s Turbulent Summer

By Karen Hudson Samuels/TellUsDetroit

DETROIT, MI (TellUsDet) - The Detroit Historical Museum plans to observe the 50th anniversary of the 1967 uprising with a major exhibition to open in September; it will run through 2017 and cast a broad 360-degree perspective on that turbulent summer.

The Detroit 1967 Project was unveiled on March 19th by Detroit Historical Society President and CEO Robert Bury along with exhibit partners and collaborators from New Detroit Incorporated, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and the Society’s Black Historic Sites Committee.

The summer of 1967 is part of a history that we simply cannot choose to forget said Bury in his opening remarks to political and community leaders, also on hand for the exhibit announcement.

Perceptions of race relations in Detroit were severely altered in July of 1967 when police raided a blind pig, a confrontation ensued and escalated into a rebellion that changed attitudes and the landscape of the city for years to come.
The Detroit 1967 Project is a historical milestone in bringing a clearer understanding about the events of that turbulent summer.

When the museum decided to undertake an exhibit of 1967, “We knew it would complex, we knew that it would controversial, we knew that it would probably take us out of our comfort zone but we knew it was necessary and important to do” said Bury who added, “It would only be worthwhile if it was inclusive and objective. “
The exhibit will also look back at Detroit during the 1930’s and 1940’s to see what happened before 1967. A key goal said Bury is to connect with today’s conversations about racial equality, gentrification, economic disparity and demographic change both in Detroit and across the country.

A major partner in the Detroit 1967 Project is the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History represented at the Thursday announcement by the museum’s COO Tyrone Davenport.

The Wright museum has a massive archive of materials from 1967, which they will be sharing, said Davenport. They will also be conducting educational programs at the Wright starting in 2016 and going into 2017.

A permanent digital archive of audio/ visual interviews and artifacts will be part of the 1967 exhibition. A website has been created to gather personal accounts from the community. The site explains the project, lists the partners but most importantly, it will provide a vehicle for people to contact the museum and share their stories.

“We want to hear from people with memories of that summer” said Tobi Voight, the museum’s Chief Curatorial Officer. She explained that people can submit their stories online, tell them into a dedicated phone or sent them by mail or e-mail. Voight also said an oral history project would launch this summer as a follow-up to collect personal stories and recollections.

Project collaborator Shirley Stancato, the President and CEO of New Detroit, Incorporated recalled for the gathering how the racial justice non-profit came into existence four days after the 1967 civil disturbance.

Sharing what she says is an often-repeated story, Stancato recounted how a framed photo in New Detroit’s’ conference room is often questioned: “Who are those three white guys?”

“What I say is, this photo commemorates the announcement of the start-of New Detroit.” The non-profit was formed when the men in the photograph had a conversation.

There was Republican Governor George Romney who said “We didn’t see this coming”’ he called in Democratic Detroit Mayor Jerome Cavanagh and said “We need to do something to ensure this doesn’t happen again.” Then they tapped a 32-year-old Joe L. Hudson for help said Stancato and from there they pulled together New Detroit; the goal was to find the root cause of the rebellion and to invest in solutions.

“There is little argument that no single event in the history of Detroit is more significant than the tragedy of the summer of 1967” said Joseph L. Hudson, Jr. Founding Chairman of New Detroit, Inc. The upcoming 50-year commemoration said Hudson provides “A unique and much needed opportunity for people to fully understand what happened and communicate on a topic that is often not easy to talk about”.

John Hardy, the new chairperson of the Black Historic Sites Committee said of the Detroit 1967 Project, “As a veteran of the 1960’s civil rights movement, I am very impressed with that fact that we are having this program today because we need a continuing dialogue on better race relations”. The BHSC is one of many groups that will contribute to the project.