John Spence, Jr.
Title
John Spence, Jr.
Description
John Spence and his younger brother were at the Tigers game on July 24, 1967. They were 15 and 10, respectively, and rode the bus home after the game to find their anxious parents awaiting them.
Publisher
Detroit Historical Society
Date
07/24/2015
Rights
Detroit Historical Society, Detroit, MI
Language
en-US
Type
Text
Coverage
Southeastern Michigan, Detroit, Michigan Avenue, Tiger Stadium
Text
My brother and I took the bus from Wayne to Tiger Stadium to watch a double-header against the Yankees. Still have stubs.We had upper deck box seats, great views of everything. [We] had a great time. They split. When it was over, we boarded the bus for the ride back, down Michigan Avenue. Things seemed a little odd awaiting boarding.
Ride back was fine, when we got home, [our] parents were freaking. [They] asked if we were okay? What happened? Shortly they told us that Detroiters started burning things near us.I was 15, [my] brother [was] 10. [I] did not understand the full impact of that day until later.
Only recently did I find out that the Police started trouble with a Group of Vietnam Veterans. At that time I heard and read and believed that a bunch of Blacks went crazy and started everything, without reason. Truth has replaced those thoughts.
Ride back was fine, when we got home, [our] parents were freaking. [They] asked if we were okay? What happened? Shortly they told us that Detroiters started burning things near us.I was 15, [my] brother [was] 10. [I] did not understand the full impact of that day until later.
Only recently did I find out that the Police started trouble with a Group of Vietnam Veterans. At that time I heard and read and believed that a bunch of Blacks went crazy and started everything, without reason. Truth has replaced those thoughts.
Original Format
email message
Submitter's Name
John Spence, Jr.
Submission Date
07/24/2015
Search Terms
Tiger Stadium, teenagers, children, city buses, , baseball games, New York Yankees, Wayne-Michigan
Files
Collection
Citation
“John Spence, Jr.,” Detroit Historical Society Oral History Archive, accessed October 9, 2024, https://oralhistory.detroithistorical.org/items/show/65.