1943 Detroit race riot
The Detroit race riot breaks out and continues for three more days.
Historical Context
The 1943 Detroit race riot took place in Detroit, Michigan, from the evening of June 20 through to the early morning of June 22. It occurred in a period of dramatic population increase and social tensions associated with the military buildup of U.S. participation in World War II, as Detroit's automotive industry was converted to the war effort. Existing social tensions and housing shortages were exacerbated by racist feelings about the arrival of nearly 400,000 migrants, both African-American and White Southerners, from the Southeastern United States between 1941 and 1943.
Did You Know?
The Detroit race riot breaks out and continues for three more days.
What Happened
The migrants competed for space and jobs against the city's residents as well as against European immigrants and their descendants. The riot escalated after a false rumor spread that a mob of white people had thrown a black mother and her baby into the Detroit River. Black people looted and destroyed white property as retaliation. White people overran Woodward to Veron where they proceeded to violently attack black community members and tip over 20 cars that belonged to black families.
Legacy
The migrants competed for space and jobs against the city's residents as well as against European immigrants and their descendants. The riot escalated after a false rumor spread that a mob of white people had thrown a black mother and her baby into the Detroit River. Black people looted and destroyed white property as retaliation. White people overran Woodward to Veron where they proceeded to violently attack black community members and tip over 20 cars that belonged to black families.