Jon Czuba, Keith Vogl

Gardner Rogers

Rhetoric 105, Section Q10

24 February 2004

The Detroit Riots of 1943

Since the time of slavery, racial tension has existed between whites and blacks. This tension has only increased with the passing of time.  This conflict culminated in the 1940s in the form of mob violence.  While there have been previous riots because of race relations, none of them were of the magnitude of the 1943 Detroit riot.  Much like any other event involving racism in the 1940s, the Detroit riot has little coverage, most of which is skewed, in articles in the nation’s leading news sources such as “Deep Trouble” in Time, “Riotous Race Hate” in Newsweek, and “The Truth About the Detroit Riot” in Harper’s.  Thus, one must compare articles from these sources to ascertain accurate information.  Even when comparing these accounts, the reader finds discrepancies in the causation and destruction of the Detroit riot.  By analyzing these descriptions,  one can also notice the similarities between the Detroit riot and other mob violence during that time period.  For example, James Baldwin’s retelling of the Harlem riot in “Notes of a Native Son” bears great similarities in causation and destruction with the Detroit riot.

Tensions in Detroit finally broke during a beautiful summer day on the 20 of June 1943.  At the Belle Isle Park, at least one fistfight broke out between a black man and a white man.  Discrepancies arise when inquiring into why this fistfight broke out.  Time attributes the cause to be tensions between races in the park.  Newsweek describes the source of the tension as white resentment for the blacks in the park in addition to the increase in the number of jobs held by blacks in Detroit.  In this account, blacks had feverishly taken over the park, hardly leaving room for the white people to enjoy such a fine day.  Newsweek also describes there being a series of fist fights in the park throughout the day which led to the riot that night, instead of just one lone fight as stated in the other two articles.  Harper’s elaborates on the cause of the racial tension stating that it results because of competition in the Detroit automotive factories for employment.  All three articles describe the fight spreading at around midnight across the bridge to Belle Isle  into the city. After the fight starts, both blacks and whites take sides based on color, which augments the dispute.   Newsweek and Time describe gangs joining in the fighting as reinforcements and Time also adds that in all of the looting, pawn shops were being raided by the rioters to acquire guns. 

According to Harper’s’ sources, white sailors begin to join in on the brawl thus further escalating it, while a black man runs to a nearby club and announced that a group of white men had raped and killed a black woman and her daughter.  As this rumor spreads, a white group began spreading their own rumors by incorrectly informing others that a white woman had been assaulted.  Thus, the destruction that ensues from this riot is simply the product of rumors.  According to Baldwin, the same can be stated about the Harlem riot.  A rumor is spread of a black soldier being shot in the back and killed, thus incensing the crowds (Baldwin 81).  While this is not the truth, it sufficiently ignites the fury of Harlem.The majority of the fighting in the Detroit riot takes place in the valley which is the black section of town.  According to Newsweek, Black workers driving home from war plants are ambushed, beaten, and stripped.  Newsweek describes the various mobs tipping and burning cars, looting stores, and setting fire to many black homes.  In the midst of this, black leaders attempt to stop the rioting by driving through the valley in sound cars trying to convince everyone to go home, but are only laughed at.  According to Time, police rope off the valley in an effort to keep blacks in and whites out.  Despite these efforts and the police fighting the mob with guns and teargas, they quickly lose control of the situation.  On the morning after the riot starts, a police officer is shot six times with his own revolver.

As the situation becomes more and more out of hand, Governor Harry F. Kelly finally takes action to attempt to put a stop to the rioting.  According to Time, the governor declares a state of emergency for Detroit and its surrounding counties and orders 1000 state, 500 local, and 1000 military police into action.  In addition to this Franklin D. Roosevelt eventually has to send in federal troops to clear the streets after twenty four hours of rioting.  Newsweek states 3500 Detroit police are called into the dispute, while Harper’s does not relay the number of police involved.  There are 23 killed, 700 injured, and 600 jailed according to Time.  In Newsweek, the death toll totals 15, with 500 injured, and 600 jailed.  Time also includes that at least eight of the black casualties were shot by police.  The only number Harper’s relayed, was the death of 34 people.  Thus, even an accurate read of the number killed by this riot is unavailable.  But regardless of the number killed, all three news sources proclaim that the rioting occurred in the negro neighborhoods of Detroit.  This is in parallel to the Harlem riot.  The African-American crowd simply destroyed its own neighborhood never venturing into the white section of town.  In Baldwin’s “Notes of a Native Son” he establishes a theme that hatred destroys and consumes those who hate.  In each of these riots, the cause of all of the destruction is hatred.  

Three different news sources were obtained to investigate the Detroit riot.  From these three sources, one discovers three conflicting accounts.  But despite these variations, there is one underlying fact which unites the three: The African-American community’s hatred for white America and vise versa.  However, this hatred is not only unique to the Detroit area.  Based on the striking similarities between the events of the Detroit and Harlem riots, one can see that this hatred was felt by both sides across the nation.  And based on the aftermath of both incidents, one can conclude rioting accomplished nothing but further damage to the African-American communities.