Minte Washington
Title
Minte Washington
Description
Minte Washington was 11 years old the summer of 1967 and remembers scenes from her neighborhood.
Publisher
Detroit Historical Society
Date
08/19/2016
Rights
Detroit Historical Society, Detroit, MI
Format
Text
Language
en-US
Type
Written Story
Text
I well remember the 1967 riots because it affected my immediate world. I was 11 years old and living off Linwood Ave at 2711 Sturtevant. Most places of business on Linwood where we shopped daily for groceries, pharmacy, the cleaners and 5 & 10 cent store were looted and burned down. The National Guards patrolled up and down Linwood every night. Curfew started after 9:00pm and you better not be caught off your porch or street after that time. We had no way to get groceries. My grandmother caught a bus to the northeast side of town to buy food for us. My mother was very pregnant and could not drive. She went into labor and was taken by a cab escorted by the National Guards to have the baby in Highland Park Hospital. Many apartments and homes were also set on fire daily, leaving many people homeless. Many businesses were looted in broad daylight. I saw a safe stolen and hacked open with hammers and crowbars in our back alley. Paper money went flying everywhere when the men got it open. My mom wouldn't let me or my brother go out there; it was not safe. We still wanted to get some of that money!
Original Format
Email
Submitter's Name
Minte Washington
Submission Date
08/12/2016
Files
Collection
Citation
“Minte Washington,” Detroit Historical Society Oral History Archive, accessed October 9, 2024, https://oralhistory.detroithistorical.org/items/show/359.