Join us on this day-long journey in Detroit which will put you in touch with the circumstances and sites in the city’s long history that contributed to the events that arose on July 23, 1967.

The tour will take us to Campus Martius Park where the focus will be on the Soldiers and Sailors Monument dedicated in 1867 in honor of Michiganians who fought for the North in the Civil War. Relatively nearby is the early site of the city jail (now Skillman Library) where, in 1833, a Wayne County sheriff was killed in a slavery-related confrontation, reflecting Detroit’s past as home of the slave trade. The tour will touch on the former black neighborhoods of Paradise Valley and Black Bottom and their demise in the name of urban renewal.

A stop will be made at the site of the Algiers Motel incident. The most memorable moment of the tour will be the stop at Clairmont Avenue and 12th Street (now Rosa Parks Boulevard) where the uprising, which lasted five days, broke out. Located at this intersection is Gordon Park, where, on the 50th anniversary of the uprising, a historical marker, “Detroit July 1967,” was unveiled. A stop will be at the Sacred Heart Major Seminary, where the statue of Jesus was painted black in 1967.

Registrants for this trip can attend the pre-trip event, “Viewing of ‘12 and Clairmont’ Documentary Film” on June 26. It’s free but you must be registered for the event.

The price of the trip includes bus transportation, lunch, snacks, and gratuities.

This trip for those 50 and over will take place on Tuesday, July 9 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., however you must register for the trip early and there are no refunds without replacements inside 30 days of trip departure.

Please see the OLLI Web Site for additional information.