1967 Riots

[MR EZee]

See, it's funny how much you can remember events that took place in your life as a child. I think that's my strange gift from God. The gift of memory. I can remember as far back as two years old just like it was yesterday. (Clearly)

Follow this short story with me.
In 1962 a jazz Artist By the name Herbie Hancock created his first big hit. The name of the song was called. Watermelon Man. That's the year I was born. Fast forward to 1967. Detroit's Mayor, Jerome Cavanagh is asking for help and support from Governor Romney and State police are deployed. President Johnson finally gets involved and Marshal Law is handed down on my city. The National Guard is called in to stop the looting and chaos in the streets. The curfew for everyone to be in their homes is from 9am to 5pm. I'm too little to see whats going on but I hear the loud commotion outside our apartment building. I'm very curious. I finally make up my mind to get on the couch, climb on the back of it and jump to the window ledge. I pulled myself up and to my amazement, I see guards men with loaded rifles and army tanks. People yelling at each other and guards threatening to shoot. My sister is also curious. So I step down to give her a boost to the ledge so she can also see whats going on. I didn’t understand why we couldn’t go outside to play anymore. This was a scary time in Detroit. In a window a man lights up a cigarette and a guard shoots through that same window hitting his young daughter. She died. She was only 4 years old. I couldn’t understand why my city was burning around us. I was too young to understand why my city was in a state of emergency. I definitely didn’t understand where the new black and white floor model TV came from that my dad and uncle Richard carried into our home. A brand new floor model, stereo console with a record player. No bill of sell, no receipt, not even a box.

In 1969 A Hustler Was Born. Definition: An Aggressively Enterprising Person, A Go Getter
After about two year, we were finally allowed to go outside and play on a regular basis. Dumbarton Street which is now called Heritage Streets, looks like a Kuwait war zone. Boarded up houses, abandoned burned buildings and trash everywhere. The damage was done but out of all of this misery and pain, something positive happened.........As a child I discovered hustling. Through it all, I became a little genius.

I can remember walking by a home that was just about burned to the ground. Almost all the bricks had fallen from this house. I picked a brick up and took it home. My ideal was to take this brick and turn it into an beautiful ashtray to give to my parents. I found some sandpaper my dad had and started sanding. This brick was weak and very easy to work with. I had a paint set that my dad bought me for Christmas. Also in this kit was some shellac to brush on to give it a glossy look. I gave that first ashtray to my mom and dad and set out to collect more bricks.

The little artist has just turned into an entrepreneur.
I finished painting about 20 – 25 ashtrays. I found a grocery cart outside to put them in and me and my little brother went house to house to sell them for two dollars each. I mean imagine, a 7 year old with a cart selling ashtrays. And this was after the Detroit riots.

So whenever I hear The President Elected Trump “What Do You Have To Lose” speech, I gotta shake my head. The Part where he says, you're living in poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, 58% of your youth is unemployed. What the hell do you have to lose?

I kinda chuckle on that speech. I been through worse already. Remember I been through Marshal Law. Nothing can get worst then that. I'm a survivor. Always been a hustler and will always take care of my family no matter what.

Now I know my brother and sister doesnt remember this but that's ok. I'll be the family Historian lol.
People always ask me why do I work so much. Well now you know why. Since 7 years old that's all I ever done is hustle.

[Edie Antoinette]

I love your memory. Thanks for posting too!