Cover Stories
Was it a ‘riot’? A ‘rebellion’? What other terms deserve a closer look?
This perspective on the events of the summer of 1967 comes from a few Metro Times fellow travelers in the form of John and Leni Sinclair, and Fifth Estate staffers Harvey Ovshinsky, Peter Werbe, and Frank Joyce. We also sought out John’s old pal Pun Plamondon, as well as author, activist, and longtime MT editorial…
Snapshots of our 1967 oral history contributors
Herb Boyd Born in Alabama in 1938, Herb Boyd came to Detroit with his family at age 5, smack in the center of the Great Migration, just in time to experience the bloody 1943 Detroit race riot. By the mid-1960s, Boyd was married with children, and teaching black studies at Monteith College. Since then, he…
A radical’s oral history of Detroit in 1967
This perspective on the events of the summer of 1967 comes from a few Metro Times fellow travelers in the form of John and Leni Sinclair, and Fifth Estate staffers Harvey Ovshinsky, Peter Werbe, and Frank Joyce. We also sought out John’s old pal Pun Plamondon, as well as author, activist, and longtime MT editorial…
A glimpse of Detroit’s hippie art community in 1967
Radicalized young black Detroiters found some white allies in a handful of integrated spaces, often hosted by artists and hippies, such as the Detroit Artists Workshop and the scene orbiting around the MC5 and John Sinclair down the street, which included the Fifth Estate offices and a hippie commune in the nearby Victorian townhouses. Leni…
White flight did not begin in 1967
An often repeated tale in the city’s white suburbs is that Detroit was a great, model city ― and then all those black people burned the city down in 1967 and whites had to leave. Is this accurate? Harvey Ovshinsky: That is such bullshit. … It makes white people feel better ― and justified ―…
Gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed promises to forgo PAC contributions
Abdul El-Sayed is the 32-year-old Muslim American campaigning to be Michigan’s next governor. El-Sayed’s resume is impressive. He was a Rhodes scholar, has a Masters and Ph.D. from Oxford University, and became an MD after graduating from Columbia. He worked for the city of Detroit under Mayor Mike Duggan, during which time he cleaned up the…
Feds rule Quicken Loans influenced home appraisals to their benefit, putting buyers underwater
After seeing an online pop-up ad for Quicken Loans, Lourie Brown of Ohio County, West Virginia contacted the Detroit-based mortgage company hoping to refinance. At closing, she received a whopping $41,000, and by consolidating other debt, she was able to save herself $300 a month. But what she didn’t know was that after making 360 mortgage…
A scuffle broke out during the pro-Trump rally at Duggan’s Irish Pub
On Monday, the Michigan Republicans for Trump gathered at Duggan’s Irish Pub in Royal Oak for a support rally that turned violent, resulting in the arrest of one woman. The rally started as nothing out of the ordinary for the pro-POTUS crowd–giant American flags, “Make American Great Again” chants over megaphones, and the occasional hail salute.…
Group starts petition to help Faster Horses fest clean up
Brooklyn, Michigan’s Faster Horses Festival ended this past Sunday after a wild weekend of camping, drinking, and lots and lots of country music. In its fifth year, the festival attracted more than 40,000 people to the Michigan International Speedway and was dubbed the #partyofthesummer. Though while festivalgoers are plenty OK with some drunken debauchery and…
Blue Nile Ethiopian restaurant is considering a new location in Boston Edison
The Blue Nile Ethiopian Restaurant could be part of a large new three-block, $12 million mixed-use development proposed for a site in the Boston Edison neighborhood. The site, at Rosa Barks Boulevard (formerly 12th Street) and Clairmount, is also a block away from where the 1967 rebellion started. The Detroit News reports that the Blue…
Sip some of Europe’s finest suds at Rock City’s beer dinner
When Rock City Eatery made its move from Hamtramck to Midtown in September, owner Nik Sanches planned a bar program that featured high end European beers that would be a rarity in Detroit. But when he opened, Michigander’s general preference for IPAs and domestic beers over darker, heavier, fuller European beers reshaped the bar menu,…
Enjoy Harvey Drouillard’s NSFW nudes from this year’s Ann Arbor Art Fair
It’s an annual tradition. Since 1994, Harvey Drouillard has taken nude public photos in the middle of the Ann Arbor Art Fair. He checked in with us to let us know how his shoot went over the weekend. Related To take these pictures, it’s not just a matter of photography’s typical rules of composition and…
Ann Arbor is the most educated city in America
As what comes to a surprise to almost no one (except maybe those who live in rival East Lansing) Ann Arbor was named the most educated city in America, according to a study done by the financial website Wallet Hub. The website gathered the 150 largest metropolitan statistical areas in the country and compared them…
Phoenix headed to the Fillmore in October
After months of cross our fingers and toes, French indie rockers Phoenix have finally announced a show in Detroit at the Fillmore on Wednesday, October 11. Phoenix released their sixth studio album, Ti Amo, earlier this summer to rave reviews, along with a string of shows and some festival appearances. The entire record sounds like…
Electric Eye Cafe opens in Ann Arbor next week
Electric Eye, a new coffee shop that plans to rotate beans from small roasters on a monthly basis, opens on Ann Arbor’s north side on Monday. Owner Keelan Ferraiuolo – who has over 20 years of experience as a barista and in the coffee trade – and partner Rachel Pell will use the featured grounds across…
Mudgie’s annual ‘Lobster Week’ returns today with even more lobster
While Shark Week may be in full swing on your TV, a different kind of sea creature is getting the spotlight at a favorite Detroit deli. The famous “Lobster Week” returns for its sixth year in a row at Mudgie’s Deli, bringing you more lobster than you could ever need, and then some. The lobster…
Detroiters present at infamous 1967 blind pig raid meet in impromptu 50th reunion
These old friends and Central High School alumni were in the infamous after-hours club above Economy Printing on the morning of July 23, 1967, and lived to tell the tale. Charlene Crossley (at far left) left the club shortly before the raid, but sisters Carolyn Colvard and Loretta Holmes were arrested that morning by Detroit…
A huge new brewery/restaurant space is proposed for the Eastern Market
A $19 million project that would turn the former Detroit Water and Sewerage building in the Eastern Market into a brewery, food production facility, and restaurants is being proposed by a former Detroit Economic Growth Corporation director. Crain’s reports that the Detroit City Council will on Tuesday consider selling the 104,000-square-foot building, at 3500 Riopelle St.,…
Rotten Tomatoes gives ‘Detroit’ movie 100% rating
Kathryn Bigelow’s new movie about Detroit’s 1967 rebellion doesn’t premiere nationally until Friday, Aug. 4. Rotten Tomatoes — the creme de la creme of movie ratings — collects reviews from the movie or TV show and averages them in order to give them a final percentage rating. And early reviews of the Detroit film are…
Roseville bar charges black people cover but not whites, customers say
Multiple customers of The Spot Bar and Grill in Roseville allege the bar has charged black people a cover to enter, but not white people. And they say the bar’s staff has discriminated against African-Americans in other ways as well. The issue spread across social media over the weekend after Jonas Grabill posted about his…
How Martha Jean ‘the Queen’ Steinberg helped calm Detroit during the summer of 1967
Fifty years ago for four long, hot summer days, Detroit was in chaos, and for 48 hours during during the civil unrest radio personality Martha Jean “the Queen” Steinberg stayed on air, urging people to go home. “‘We have to remember all the people who were great,’” Steinberg’s daughter, Treina, recalls her mother saying. “‘As a…
Woman taken off Delta flight for medical condition says she was discriminated against
A Michigan woman who was planning to fly from Detroit Metro Airport to Seattle last week to spread her boyfriend’s father’s ashes says she was discriminated against when she was removed from a Delta flight for her medical condition. Yvette Rivera, a 25-year-old from Jonesville, Michigan, suffers from Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), a condition that…
Dan Gilbert apologizes for ‘tone deaf’ Detroit ad
While just about every outlet in Detroit began circulating content over the weekend reflecting on the 50th anniversary of the city’s 1967 summer of civil unrest, a photo from present-day Detroit went viral — causing many to reflect instead on the state of race relations in Detroit in 2017. The photo showed a window wrap…
The Detroit Zoo expanded its otter exhibit by three times and we love them for it
The Detroit Zoo has been long at work to expand the exhibit for one of the most underrated zoo animals there is — the ever-adorable yes still badass otter. While the otters at the zoo had a pretty dope setup to begin with, this new exhibit features an outdoor palace that includes a sandy beach,…
Jeff Daniels will play a concert in your living room to the highest bidder
While Jeff Daniels may be better known for his acting career in moves like Dumb & Dumber or the TV show The Newsroom, the actor and singer’s lifelong project has been the Purple Rose Theatre Company in Chelsea, MI, which he founded 26 years ago. Like most theaters, it is holding a fundraiser full of…
Eatori specialty market/restaurant plans an August opening in downtown’s Capitol Park
The long-awaited Eatori Market is now targeting an August opening in Capitol Park’s Malcomson Building at 1215 Griswold St. The 2,500-square-foot space will function as a bar/restaurant with seating for 25 up front, and a specialty market offering grab-and-go items; dry goods; fresh produce; prepared foods; a soup and salad bar; and beer and wine.…
Six restaurants in metro Detroit serving flavored pancakes that you have to try
The Motor City is known for mixing up a variety of foods. From their deep dish pizza to sweet BBQ — you name it, Detroit probably has it. One dish that Detroiters may not consider are flavored pancakes, a twist on an old classic. With all the morning hour eateries in the city, it’s no…
Norma G’s Caribbean restaurant starts construction in Jefferson Chalmers
Norma G’s food truck is the only in the city rolling out Caribbean cuisine and Trinidadian comfort foods, and for that, it has quickly established itself as a favorite. But owner Lester Gouvia says there’s a lot more he can do with his native cuisine when he opens a casual fine dining restaurant in the…
Jolly Pumpkin/Bastone breweries open in Royal Oak next month
The new Jolly Pumpkin and Bastone complex in Royal Oak will open on Monday, August 7. Jolly Pumpkin is now in the space at 419 S. Main St. that used to house Bastone and Vinotecca Wine Bar. A Jolly Pumpkin spokesperson said via press release that Bastone now occupies the Monk Beer Abbey space located…
Betsy DeVos is in a Twitter war with a teacher’s union and we can’t look away
It seems that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is taking a note from her boss by firing back at her critics on Twitter. The AFT teacher’s union sent out a tweet today saying “@BetsyDeVos says public $ should invest in indiv students. NO we should invest in a system of great public schools for all kids.” This…
Tony Hawk is bringing an art installation and skate park to downtown Detroit
Downtown Detroit is getting a brand new — albeit temporary — skate park thanks to Tony Hawk. Hawk is no stranger to Detroit; the iconic pro skateboarder has become a regular face in the city’s skate scene and last year purchased a 120 year old house in the Woodbridge neighborhood. He now seems to be…
Yoko Ono’s rare 16mm films will headline the Media City Film Festival
The Media City Film Festival is embarking on their 23rd year of film screenings, live performances, exhibitions, and artist discussions this year from Wednesday, August 2 to Saturday, August 5 at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Artist and peace activist, Yoko Ono, and legendary composer Malcolm Goldstein will be headlining the opening night of the…
Rep. Dave Trott pushes for tougher penalties for female genital mutilation
With the first known female genital mutilation prosecutions in the U.S. playing out in federal court in Detroit, a local congressman is advocating for stiffer penalties for the practice. A bill introduced today by Rep. Dave Trott (R, MI-11) and a New York congresswoman would up the federal penalty for female genital mutilation from five years…
Someone spray painted ‘Kanye’ onto a WMU sign and we can’t stop laughing
We always appreciate a little spray paint tomfoolery, but this job may just take the cake. A Western Michigan University student posted this photo on Facebook today showing a walkway on WMU’s campus vandalized with the word “Kanye” to make “Kanye Western Michigan University.” It’s like the bridge was just asking for someone to do…
What to expect at this year’s Dlectricity in Detroit, back after a three-year hiatus
Dlectricity is back. The walkable, outdoor Nuit Blanche-style festival of lights launched in Midtown in 2012 with initial plans to be a biennial event, but after its 2014 iteration the event was postponed in 2016 due to QLine construction. With the streetcar finally up and running the event is back on, set for 7 p.m. to…
Flowers Of Vietnam, El Asador to open Ford Field locations
Ford Field will be a little tastier when its $100 million renovation and concession update wraps up prior to this fall’s Lion’s season. Eater reports that Flowers of Vietnam and El Asador are opening new locations inside the stadium, while Slow’s will add a second location. Ford Field is also building a 200-seat Miller Lite…
The Cranberries have canceled their show at the Fillmore
Concert cancelations always suck, but the Cranberries canceling most of their tour this fall sucks extra hard. The band released a statement today telling fans that lead singer Dolores O’Riordan is recovering from back problems that have not gone away and her doctor tells her it is not smart to tour. The Cranberries already had…
The Church of Scientology is coming to downtown Detroit
The Church of Scientology is planning to join in on downtown Detroit’s renaissance and has announced that it will renovate the former Standard Savings & Loan building at Griswold and Jefferson to create the official Church of Scientology of Detroit. Crain’s reports the Church recently obtained a permit for $8 million worth of work to…
Detroit City FC superfans pen open letter to Dan Gilbert (in comic sans)
If you’ve never been a Detroit City Football Club game, they are something else. The Northern Guard are the self-described “rabid supporters” of the DCFC, an unlikely grassroots soccer team that since its modest origins in 2010 has grown into a powerhouse that now draws thousands of fans to its games in Hamtramck’s Keyworth Stadium.…
Duggan’s Irish Pub in Royal Oak to host pro-Trump meeting
This Monday, supporters will be sending a message to their president at a rally/informational meeting/buffet at Duggan’s Irish Pub in Royal Oak at 6 p.m. According to the Michigan Trump Republicans website, from now through September attendees “will hear the most current talking points directly from the White House that will embolden you to speak…
Horoscopes (July 19-25)
ARIES (March 21- April 20): There’s no way to make sense of this. In the middle of a typhoon making sense of anything is oxymoronic. Finding new ways to remain centered in the eye of the storm is vital. Those of you who have stopped making excuses are way better off than those of you…
Blowing up our firecracker law
Karen Mouradjian is passionate, intense, and has dreamed of becoming a lawyer for years — in large part because she is concerned about animal rights and animal abuse. She wants to help those who cannot speak. Getting a law degree has been a long process, because she doesn’t have much money. But on the Fourth…
Review: New restaurant Gather is a welcome addition to Gratiot
A welcome focus on affordability is driving the newest entrant on the voguish Gratiot block that also houses Trinosophes and Antietam. “We couldn’t afford to go out much in the last year ourselves,” co-owner Kyle Hunt says, referring to him, wife Leah, and chef Nate Vogeli. “We wanted to make it a place that anyone…
It’s getting late, but still not midnight for Billy Davis
True trailblazers often fail to reap the benefit of their innovations. In the tech business it’s the difference between leading edge and the bleeding edge. One moves quickly and breaks things, the other comes along later to reap a lion’s share of the accolades. Over the years, Billy Davis often had his finger on the…
Detroit is razing houses with money intended to save them
Detroit’s decade-long wave of tax and mortgage foreclosures has wiped out large swaths of the city’s neighborhoods as Wayne County continues to seize thousands of occupied homes a year. And while the city’s neediest homeowners were supposed to receive federal assistance to save their homes as part of the Treasury Department’s seven-year-old Hardest Hit Fund,…
Savage Love: Come again
Q: I’m a 35-year-old straight woman, recently married, and everything is great. But I have been having problems reaching orgasm. When we first started dating, I had them all the time. It was only after we got engaged that it became an issue. He is not doing anything differently, and he works hard to give…
Michigan women are making more beer — here’s your chance to try it
On a recent evening, a group of men dining at Midtown’s Traffic Jam & Snug restaurant and brewpub found the beer so good that they requested to speak with the brewer to express their appreciation and admiration of his work. When their server retrieved Chelsea Piner from the brewery, the men — who she characterized…
In Detroit, it can be hard to set up a pot shop
My own neighborhood has been going through the Detroit marijuana provisioning center wars. The location on the corner of Eight Mile Road and Gardendale Street has been targeted by the Metropolitan Detroit Community Action Coalition (MDCAC) which has kept it closed much longer than it was ever open. I noted a few years back when…
