Detroit in Michigan, USA was once recognized as the most developed industrial city in the United States and was known as the "City of Cars". Detroit in the 1960s had clusters of high-rise buildings, dense industry and commerce, and complete urban infrastructure. It was a city of the same level as New York at that time. And Detroit was once a truly modern city, with a very high status in the hearts of the people, and it was still developing at a rapid speed. It was called the " American Dream " city.
Figure 1 The former Detroit
In 1950, as a large and densely populated industrialized city, Detroit covered an area of only 379 square kilometers. However, this small 379 square kilometers was actually packed with 1.8 million people, and The population is still growing rapidly.
Detroit is not only an industrial city, but also has very developed commerce. At night, downtown Detroit is abuzz with lights and entertainment venues abound. major business circles are thriving. This is due to the rapid development of Detroit's automobile industry, which attracts a large number of laborers and attracts people to live there. Naturally, the commercial service industry will also flourish.
Detroit was once thought to surpass New York in the 1980s and become the largest city in the United States.
However, the great development momentum was interrupted by an emergency in the 1960s. Today, Detroit's population has dropped to just over 700,000, and the entire city is lifeless. Even so, the unemployment problem is still serious, and the population continues to emigrate. . The city has not maintained its rapid development momentum. Why does
cause this situation? This starts with the great riot in 1967.
Figure 2 Detroit after the 1967 Detroit riots
Causes of the incident
The 1967 Detroit riots , also known as the "Twelfth Street" riot, was the deadliest riot in American history. The riot lasted for 5 days. For a long time, the damage caused exceeded that of the racial riots in 1943. Regarding the causes of this vicious incident that affected the fate of a city, the editor feels that it should be divided into direct causes and fundamental causes.
- Direct Cause
On July 23, 1967, an unlicensed bar was operated at the junction of Twelfth Street and Claremont Street in Detroit. After receiving reports from relevant personnel, the Detroit police quickly came here and prepared to raid this unlicensed bar. However, the incident did not go as smoothly as expected.
The police in charge of law enforcement clashed with a group of black people drinking in a bar. At first it was just verbal abuse and insults, but as the situation intensified, black people gradually began to throw objects at the police.
It was originally just a simple matter of closing down a tavern, but due to the extremely sensitive racial issues in the United States at that time. This time, the people who clashed with the police were black people who have always been discriminated against in the United States. The incident suddenly escalated into a racial issue.
Black people who learned the news came from all directions, and things became out of control, triggering the famous "Twelfth Street Riot" in American history.
Figure 3 The scene of the Detroit riots
- The root cause
Regarding the root cause of the "Twelfth Street Riot", the editor thinks it is the racial conflict between whites and blacks in the United States since ancient times . Especially the city of Detroit, whose establishment was accompanied by serious racial discrimination. In 1960, the government moved thousands of black people to public housing areas on the grounds of " urban renewal ", which triggered housing discrimination, which then evolved into job discrimination. Unemployment among blacks rose sharply.
In addition, local policies are also extremely unfavorable to black people. Before this incident, black people in Detroit had already had deep resentment against the white-dominated government.
The deepening of racism has led to the flight of white people and capital, further leading to urban discreteness and hollowing out. This creates a vicious cycle, decentralizing the urban structure and further deepening racial segregation . This intensified the resentment between blacks and whites.
After the "Twelfth Street Incident" broke out, the government's actions only added fuel to the fire. Michigan In order to quell the riot as soon as possible, Governor George Rom adopted a quick method to cut through the mess. He first sent National Guard into Detroit for armed suppression, and then asked President Lyndon Johnson to send troops into Detroit.
The National Guard and the military entered Detroit and ignored all rules. Shoot the rioting black people. This made the situation even worse as almost all the black people in the city broke out collectively. In the end, it turned into a battle between local blacks and white police.
Gunshots and cries occurred one after another, and the entire Detroit became a hell on earth. The scene was no less than Syria in recent years.
After five days of brutal suppression, the riot finally ended on July 27, but it resulted in 43 deaths, 457 injuries, more than 7,200 arrests, and the destruction of more than 2,000 buildings, causing estimated property losses. About 50 million US dollars.
Figure 4 American soldiers suppressing the riot
Impact of the incident
This riot is regarded as the beginning of Detroit's decline. It eventually led to a large number of whites fleeing Detroit. According to relevant statistics, more than 67,000 whites left the city in the next year alone. The most deadly thing is that most of these people are entrepreneurs and middle class.
At the same time, a large number of African Americans from the South moved here, causing the proportion of black residents in Detroit to increase dramatically. As entrepreneurs leave, the number of businesses decreases, which also means fewer jobs and less tax revenue for the city.
In the 1970s, the vacancy rate increased sharply, and the former glory of Detroit, the automobile city, began to fade. The city that was once the pride of Americans continued to be shrouded in gray.
During the riots, Joel Stone, senior curator of the Detroit Historical Society, said: " This is a very complex, multi-layered, and very profound event. In the history of Detroit, everyone should remember it. . "
The Investigative Committee also warned: " The United States is moving towards two societies, one black and one white, separate and unequal.
After this riot, it caused a lot of public opinion and racial discrimination was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. , causing a greater degree of social fragmentation and having a negative impact on the unity within the United States.
The origin of the racial problem in the United States
American scholar Thomas Sauvé once pointed out in his book "A Brief History of Race in the United States"; " Skin color obviously plays a decisive role in determining the fate of Americans. Various races have experienced Have been discriminated against to a certain extent . "
Although opposing racial discrimination has become "political correctness" in today's American society, this is just rhetoric, and racial concepts have long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
In fact, the history of the United States is a history full of racial oppression and discrimination. From 1607, when European whites landed on the American continent, they began to oppress the Indian indigenous people. By the later period of the Sinful Triangle Trade, the discrimination of whites against blacks in the American continent reached its peak.
Figure 5 The notorious triangular trade
In 1865, with the abolition of slavery, black people regained their freedom. But this did not make white people respect black people more. On the contrary, discrimination continued to deepen with free status.
Especially the southern United States , a variety of segregation laws were formed, collectively referred to as " Jim Crow laws ". After nearly a hundred years of struggle, this segregation bill was only adopted in 1965. abolition.
American scholar Joe Feigin once pointedly pointed out, " American society itself is a racist organism, full of racism and racist oppression in its complex, interconnected and interdependent social networks, organizations and systems "
Systemic racism has led to the long-term widespread existence of racial discrimination in the United States and is difficult to eradicate.This kind of racism has penetrated into the hearts of Americans in a way that is not easy to detect, seriously hindering black people from obtaining equal opportunities in employment, education, medical care, etc.
In 2019, a survey of black people showed that more than 80% of black people have encountered unfair treatment in their lives. And most black people also say that the status of black Americans will not improve significantly for a long time to come.
It can be seen that from the day white people landed on the American continent, black people have been synonymous with laziness, dirtyness, and inferiority. This concept has accompanied the entire development history of the United States. Therefore, racial problems are so deep-rooted that they can never be completely eradicated.
"I have a dream"
Of course, black people have never slackened in their pursuit of equality. The most famous of them is the black civil rights movement in the United States .
The Black Civil Rights Movement in the United States, also known as the "African-American Civil Rights Movement", is part of the American Civil Rights Movement and began to rise in 1950. Until 1970, the experience lasted 20 years. It is a mass struggle for black civil rights by non-violent protest actions.
In 1955, the city of Montgomery, Alabama, introduced a apartheid system for bus seats. Black people persisted in boycotting buses for a year, and finally The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the apartheid system on buses violated the U.S. constitution.
After this incident, the black movement developed from legal struggle to the stage of non-violent direct action. With non-violence as the guideline, methods such as boycotts, marches, sit-ins and peaceful marches were adopted.
In 1957, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference was formed. As the most influential organization in the civil rights movement, it was responsible for coordinating the actions of various related organizations. Martin Luther King served as chairman.
Figure 6 Martin Luther King delivering a speech
In 1960, sit-in demonstrations in public places were common in southern states, showing that the scope of the movement had transcended the limitations of a certain city and took the initiative to attack the apartheid system.
In 1961 and 1962, the focus of the civil rights movement was respectively against the apartheid system on long-distance buses and fighting for the suffrage of southern blacks. The peak of the
movement was in August 1963. Martin Luther King gathered 250,000 people in the square in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., and delivered his famous speech "I Have a Dream." This speech caused It caused a huge stir in public opinion and resonated with many people.
finally forced Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act the following year, outlawing segregation and discrimination policies, which became a key event in the history of the American civil rights movement.
Under the tremendous pressure of the civil rights movement, the U.S. Congress passed the " Civil Rights Act" in 1964 and the "Voting Rights Act" in 1965, officially ending the restrictions and various restrictions on the voting rights of black Americans in the form of legislation. racial discrimination and apartheid in public facilities.
Due to Martin Luther King 's contribution to the civil rights movement, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize .
Unfortunately, in 1968, Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, and the black civil rights movement came to an end that year.
Figure 7 Martin Luther King
Racial cases that have occurred in recent years
Although the United States has made considerable efforts on the issue of racial discrimination and maintained ethnic equality as much as possible, racial discrimination cases still occur from time to time in recent years.
For example, contemporary basketball superstar Stephen Curry was called "Nigger" by a nationalist in the audience when he was interacting with American fans. Curry immediately canceled the event.
If all Curry experienced was mild verbal abuse, the next one would even lose his life because of racial issues.
This is the famous 5.25 incident of violent law enforcement by the American police .
On May 25, 2020, during the process of law enforcement, American police officer Xiao Wan caused the black man Floyd to suffocate to death due to rough tactics.
Subsequently, large-scale demonstrations broke out in Minnesota , which caused the city of Minneapolis to be paralyzed for a time.
In the end, under pressure, Xiao Wan, the police officer involved, was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Contributions made by black people to human society
In fact, black people, a large group, have made many contributions to human society in history.
During World War II, France, as an Allied power, once had such a force. They made great contributions to the victory of the anti-fascist war , and also paid huge sacrifices.
Due to France's poor performance in World War II, the Free French regime was established overseas under the leadership of Charles de Gaulle.
In order to solve the problem of insufficient military personnel, the French government decided to follow the British recruitment method:
recruit young people of appropriate age from colonial countries to join the French army and become ordinary soldiers.
Soon after, a large number of recruits from colonial and other countries began to appear in the French army. These people mainly came from Africa, such as North Africa Algeria , Tunisia , Morocco , and from West Africa Senegal, Guinea, Mali and other countries. This conscription method did solve the problem of insufficient soldiers in the French army to a certain extent..
After the fall of France, the " Vichy France " puppet regime and the "Free France" regime led by de Gaulle appeared in France. The two sides then launched a fierce confrontation on French soil.
There is such a team in the Free French camp. They are soldiers from Senegal who have become the main members of the black legion. Their most obvious feature is the "chechia" cylindrical velvet hat on their heads.
According to combat requirements, these black regiments are often sent by the French army's top brass to fight on the most dangerous and difficult front lines.
The weapons, equipment, and strategic supplies they received were obviously different from those of traditional French soldiers. However, these black legions did not flinch at all in actual combat, but instead showed a fearless heroism.
Figure 8 The French Black Legion during World War II
Starting in 1940, the Black Legion, together with other fraternal troops, began to fight against the Nazis and servant troops on various battlefields on the Western Front.
From the earliest Battle of Cassino , Normandy landing , the liberation of France... In almost all battles in which the French army participates, black legions will appear in the sequence of combatants.
In the process of fighting against the fascist demon, a large number of black soldiers fell on the charging road, but this did not affect their courage.
One of the most representative battles, the Defense of Lyon, faced repeated attacks by Nazi Germany's superior forces. The 25th Senegalese Infantry Regiment of the French 8th Colonial Infantry Division held its position and did not take a step back.
Even at the end of the battle, a battalion of the Senegalese Infantry Regiment staged a European version of " assembly number ". The entire battalion was wiped out while covering the retreat of the main force.
The captured soldiers were also secretly executed by the German army after the war.
However, on August 25, 1944, Paris was officially liberated. At the subsequent entrance ceremony into the city, people were surprised to find that the black regiments that were supposed to walk through the Champs Elysées with other French soldiers had inexplicably disappeared, and the honorary titles that should have belonged to them were also gone.
It turns out that on the eve of the liberation of Paris, these hard-working black soldiers were forcibly sent back to their home country. Their achievements were deliberately concealed by the French government, and no one knew what they did in World War II.
And regarding post-war pensions, these black veterans did not receive the pensions they deserved. Even their pensions were less than half of those of normal French soldiers, and they were in arrears from time to time.
It was not until 2017 that the then French President Hollande publicly expressed his shame for the discrimination against black soldiers in World War II and said that "the French owe you a blood debt." The 28 surviving black soldiers were honored 70 years later and were granted French citizenship.
In addition, black people have also made many contributions to the world in fields such as sports and music.
Most black people are tall and powerful, and due to regular exercise, they have very good figures. They look quite strong and have extremely developed muscles. Such people often perform very well in sports.
The flying men in the basketball field, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant, who passed away a few years ago, are all great basketball players and are deeply loved by fans.
Figure 9 Michael Jordan, the God of Basketball
In track and field and football, black people also have good results. Football king Pele and sprinter Usain Bolt are all people who have proven themselves in the world arena.
In addition, golfer golfer " Tiger Woods " and former world boxing champion Tyson are all black athletes.
Black people are good at singing and dancing, and this has been recognized by everyone. Many black people have very charming voices and the songs they sing are very touching. And because of regular exercise, the body is more flexible, and dancing is also very charming. Therefore, there are many famous black singers in the music scene.
For example, the late world music king Michael Jackson was a great black singer and philanthropist. There are also many black singers who have made great achievements in the world music scene.
Figure 10 Famous singer Michael Jackson
Summary
In fact, the earth is originally a big family, and in this big family, each skin color represents a different member. Everyone has their own areas of expertise, and there is no distinction between high and low race. In the long history of mankind, black people have also had a glorious history.
hopes that the world can truly achieve national equality. In the future, I hope that tragedies like the Detroit incident will not happen again.
I am Shi Hai Phantom , follow me and like history.
