audio by artist ray girardin

Part Three: Detroit Police Commissioner Girardin describes the first days of the 1967 Riot, including: Black militancy, media coverage; the Michigan National Guard; snipers; fatalities; attacks on the Detroit Fire Department; perceived threats on public works; Police Emergency Reserve; the feeling in the city the night before the civil unrest began, the changing demographics of the 12th Street area. Note: Contains profanity.

Interview with Ray Girardin conducted by Maurice Kelman in August, 1971.

Part Two: Detroit Police Commissioner Girardin describes the first days of the 1967 Riot, including: the efforts of John Conyers and Damon Keith to bring an end to the situation; the Detroit Police Department “commandos” or riot squad; issues surrounding unsecured weaponry and ammunition; police relations with the African American community; black militancy; the Detroit Committee on Community Relations (DCCR); police informants. Note: Contains profanity.

Interview with Ray Girardin conducted by Maurice Kelman in August, 1971

Part One: Detroit Police Commissioner Girardin describes on the first hours of the 1967 Riot including: description of the people who were arrested during the Blind Pig raid that sparked the 1967 Riots; his opinion on why the first arrests were unnecessary; the conditions in the city and at the police department that exacerbated the events; conspiracy theories. Note: Contains profanity.

Interview with Ray Girardin conducted by Maurice Kelman in August, 1971