WSU Press publishes reprint of Hubert Locke’s book "The Detroit Riot of 1967"

etroit’s 50-year commemoration of the 1967 rebellion is far from slowing down. Adding to the flow of events and exhibits, Author Hubert G. Locke releases a reprint of his book The Detroit Riot of 1967 along with Wayne State University Press.

The novel, originally published in 1969, tells the story of the last few days in July 50 years ago, that left the city destroyed by arson, looting, sniping, murder and assault.

“Historically riots happen about once every generation. Which suggests when a new generation comes along that hasn't gone through, experienced or remembered the old event, they repeat it,” Locke says. “It's important to say to your generation, let us not let this happen again.”

Broken down into three sections, the book takes you through each day with exact times from police reports that many of the events occurred, including law enforcement-related death including the events at the Algiers Motel and the deaths of Tanya Blanding and William Dalton.

To help readers better understand the city, Locke writes about the earlier times of Detroit. He discusses the race riot of 1943, police commissioners, court issues, and community relations.

The second section dives deeper into the questions of why and how the riots happened, riot patterns and black revolutionaries, while the third section of the book explores the aftermath for Detroit and redefining the police in urban America.

Locke served as an administrative aide to the Detroit commissioner of police in 1967, and was most recently dean and professor emeritus at the Daniel Evans Graduate School at the University of Washington.

“This city was good to me, it was good to my parents. I’m proud of it.” Locke writes in a 2016 reflective essay. “[Detroit] is a city which was brought to its knees but it was not crushed.”

The Detroit Riot of 1967 is now available. For more information, visit wsupress.wayne.edu.