Detroit Race Riots Remembered at the Library May 18

Rochester Hills Public Library Remembers Detroit Race Riots for 50^th Anniversary

In July, Detroit will be reflecting on the 50th anniversary of the four-day race riot that left 43 dead, 4,853 arrested, and 477 buildings burned. The Rochester Hills Public Library will be hosting a program called Press Coverage of the Race Riots on Thursday, May 18 at 7:00 p.m. to highlight the history of this event.

Casandra Ulbrich

As the Vice President for College Advancement and Community Relations at Macomb Community College, Casandra Ulbrich penned her doctoral dissertation called Riot or Rebellion: Media Framing and the 1967 Detroit Uprising. Ulbrich will be coming to the library to speak on how perceptions of those living outside of the city were greatly influenced by the media coverage.

“It is important that we never forget what happened,” says Ulbrich, “if we ignore why people rioted in the first place, we will be destined to repeat history. Fifty years later these topics are still relevant.” 

Ulbrich plans to explore press coverage during and after the riots and how that shaped the narrative about the whole event. 

“Media coverage, as we’ve all seen, can easily divide the public on the same issue. That’s why the Rochester Hills Public Library is committed to the Share Truth campaign and enlightening the public to what good journalism is,” says Community Relations Specialist Amanda Harrison Keighley, “We are excited to have Casandra Ulbrich analyze the influence of news coverage during this time period.” 

Registration is available online for this event at calendar.rhpl.org. Sign up in advance as space will be limited.