Marsell Morris

Rage in Detroit: a Tragic Time in Detroit's History Marsell Morris

Walking Mary, an old, experienced, prostitute, made 12th street her stroll. She, with her close friend, Denise, plied their trade together, as well as enjoyed a consciousness robbing, heroin high, together, while nodding in Sam?s 12th street dope house. Had she known that her death at the hands of a crooked cop, Officer Spells, would be the spark that ignited the 1967 12th street riot, and cause the death of her dear friend, Denise, she would have given up her feigning and tricking and put herself into treatment. Greg, and Jordan, two close friends, who visited 12th and used Mary and Denise?s special talents, as well as two ex-cons and looters, Robert and Ray, are just a few individuals who?s lives will be touched by the civil unrest. As you read this work, keep in mind that some of the sorted details of events depicted here in are true as they happened. Several events are depicted as were experienced by the central characters of the story. Many other graphic events and places, are no more than fictitious fabrications cooked up in the mind of the author, to keep the story flowing. The soul purpose of this work is to give the reader a general idea of the atmosphere, before, during, and after the civil unrest, commonly called the Detroit riot of 1967, while telling an entertaining tale, as experienced by several individuals. Although, it is commonly accepted that the ?civil unrest? began when police vice squad officers executed a raid on an after-hours, drinking club, or ?blind pig? in a predominantly black neighborhood located at Twelfth Street and Clairmount Avenue, others, who were there at the beginning of the riot, might disagree. I am not trying to dispute where, or how, the disturbance began. I?m only writing from the point of view of someone who was there at the onset. It is very possible that the location and origination of the unrest could have had more than one focal point. I?ll leave that to others to decide.