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Perspectives of Detroiters on 1967 and Michiganders on race relations in 2017.

Tigers Star Willie Horton Recalls Trying To Bring Calm To Detroit

Willie Horton photo
Scott Pohl
/
WKAR-MSU
Willie Horton, in the basement of his home.

On July 23rd, 1967, tensions in Detroit boiled over into what came to be known as the Detroit riots. By the time the unrest ended several days later, 43 people were dead, more than a thousand were injured, and two-thousand buildings were destroyed.

The Detroit Tigers were hosting the New York Yankees on that first day, and one young African-American Tigers star who had grown up in Detroit tried to bring calm to the chaos at the intersection of 12th and Clairmount, the epicenter of the riot, while still in uniform.

Willie Horton tells his story of July 23rd, 1967.

Scott Pohl has maintained an on-call schedule reporting for WKAR following his retirement after 36 years on the air at the station.
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