Читать книгу Freedom Facts and Firsts - Jessie Carney Smith - Страница 61

The black population in the city of Detroit increased greatly between 1910 and 1930, attracted to the industrial center by the need for automotive and other labor workers. World War II also drew blacks and others to Detroit from the South, as well as from other parts of the country and Canada, when automobile and other industrial plants began developing military vehicles and other equipment in support of the war effort. The influx into this urban setting created tension with whites who were also working in these industries, however. As early as August 1942 the potential for racial violence had been documented in local and national publications, as blacks experienced discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations. On June 20, 1943, a fight between blacks and whites took place on Belle Isle, where there was a segregated public beach and recreation area, and escalated into a riot. Local police were unprepared and ill-equipped to deal with the outbreak, but order was eventually restored with the help of military police. Twenty-nine African Americans and nine whites died, nearly 700 were injured, and close to 2,000 were arrested. One positive result was the formation of the nation’s first interracial committee with authority to address discrimination issues.

Fletcher F. Moon