The movie Detroit was recently released in theaters on August 4, 2017. The dramatic film puts you in the shoes of the people who lived through the 1967 riots in Detroit, Michigan. These riots began to take place because of a brutal police raid which was only the beginning for the series of events which would occur. Without giving any spoilers, the main storyline is centered around the Algiers Motel incident where nine people (seven black men and two white women) were severely beaten by police officers resulting in the shooting and deaths of three black men.
This film truly puts you in awe of the events that occurred during that time. The fear, the anger, the hostility, and the desperation are all captured in such a way that you become speechless with a heavy heart. We hear about how incredibly rough the Civil Rights Movement was, but without living through it ourselves, it is hard to pin point the thoughts and feelings these people endured day to day. Being an African American myself, it hit very close to home. My father grew up during these tough times and still has emotional scars from the treatment him and his family received. The way that African American people were treated like dirt and criminals without proper evidence reminds you of have unfair this world can be. They were fighting for a simple cause: equality.
I find it eminently sad that racism is still an issue in this world today. The color of one’s skin or the cultural background one possesses should never influence your opinion on someone. For those who allow this type of ignorance to cloud your judgment, I honestly feel sorry for you. This past year, while talking about our world's social justice issues with my peers, I heard someone say, “it must be really hard to wake up and have to remember to hate someone.” I took time to reflect upon that and realized how true that statement is. Why take so much time out of your day to inflict hate towards someone when you have an opportunity to learn about them. Whether your experience with them becomes a positive or negative one, that is up for you to decide. But that does not mean they deserve to be treated as anything less than any other human being.
No matter your background, everyone should go see Detroit. It’s not only a powerful movie but also an opportunity to educate yourself on both the physical and the emotional hardships in the 1960’s. Their perseverance, their determination, and their sacrifice have allowed me to be where I am today: a daughter of black man and a white woman who has the freedom and ability to conquer anything, despite any battles I may face.
