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Content Warning: This archive consists of images that depict racial violence, weaponry, and destruction, which may be sensitive to some readers. Please consider this before proceeding.  
 

Welcome to We Hope for Better Things, It Will Rise From the Ashes

This archive focuses on the race riots that took place during the summer of 1967 in Detroit, Michigan, as well the subsequent efforts that were made to rebuild the city from destruction. 

The Detroit riot of 1967, also referred to as The 1967 Uprising and Twelth Street Riot, began following a police raid on a blind pig, or unlicensed bar. This uprising was a culmination of the resentment and anger felt by Black Detroiters  due to the poverty, housing discrimination, segregation, and police brutality that they had faced. The riot consisted of violent confrontations between Black Detroiters and thousands of police and military personnel. 

“We Hope for Better Things, It Will Rise From the Ashes” is the English translation of Detroit’s Latin motto Speramus Meliora, Resurget Cineribus. While this motto was originally adopted by the city after the Great Fire of Detroit in 1805, it captures the city’s enduring spirit to reinvigorate and rebuild itself amid civil unrest and uprising. 

Rather than acting as a timeline of events, this archive is meant to serve as an overview of the uprising itself and the conflict that occurred among groups who attempted to navigate the aftermath of the uprising. This archive relies on images and documents that showcase the experiences of Detroiters during the uprising.

National Guardsmen patrolled Linwood Avenue at Hazelwood on the first day of one of the worst weeks in Detroit's history in July 1967.

How to Navigate this Site

You can access any page on this site by clicking its title in the navigation bar at the top. 

Please visit the Project Description page to read about the documentary focus, archival concepts and practices, criteria for record selection, target user group, and perspectives represented in this archive. 

To explore topics of interest, please visit the site’s three thematic collections: 

  • The Uprising: Learn about events that took place during the uprising in Detroit, Michigan from July 23 - July 28, 1967.
  • “It Rises From The Ashes”: Learn about the immediate aftermath of the riots and its economic, structural, political, and social effects.
  • “We Hope For Better Things”:  Learn about efforts made to rebuild the city and prevent future violence by addressing issues such as racial inequality, economic disinvestment, and poor living conditions.

To discover all the items in the archive at a glance, visit the Browse page. There, you can perform a filtered search by categories such as item type, date, or subject. Click on any item to view more detailed information.


Lastly, the Authors page provides information about the creators of this site, including their roles and backgrounds.

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