The Absence of Memorials

A prime example of memorials being inherently politically, as mentioned in Tyner's article, is the complete absence of any memorial that remembers the riots that occurred in Detroit, Michigan in the summer of 1967, during the civil rights era. During this time, Detroit was still strongly affected by the racial injustice of various institutions, such as law enforcement. The riot was a culmination of years of racial inequality, but the riot itself was initially started by police raiding a bar and using excessive force on the black patrons. This resulted in one of the largest and most destructive riots in American history, that led to deaths, injuries, looting, and destruction of property. The Michigan National Guard and  US troops were ultimately sent in to de-escalate the situation, which was finally resolved five days later.

Despite these atrocities that included police brutality and arson, no memorial was ever established to remember the events that occurred or the people who lost their lives in 1967. The riots that took place in Detroit were representative of racial tensions that were occurring all across the country and they served as a symbol of the racial injustice still faced by minorities. While it's unlikely that there is one specific reason for the lack of a memorial, it's likely that many different factors play a role in its absence.

The residents of Detroit lacked a considerable amount of agency during this time that is directly related to class and race. The riots also precipitated a phenomenon known as "white flight" which refers to the vast number of white and middle class residents who left Detroit following the riot, causing the city to appear even more dilapidated and undesirable, which only exacerbated the poverty and racial inequality that existed before the riots. Detroit had long been a working class town, but many residents were living in poverty and the sudden loss of population resulted in abandoned houses and a decrease in tax revenue.

All of these factors would have made it difficult for the remaining residents of Detroit to find the time or money to construct a memorial, and the government was not going to celebrate an event that was directly caused by citizens fighting with law enforcement. This indicates that memorials are built by governments that support a certain cause or sympathize with a tragic event. The absence of a memorial is indicative of the little value that the government placed on the lives of those lost and the circumstances surrounding the events that caused them to lose their lives.

Tyner also mentions that memorials can sometimes function as a way to absolve guilt, but in Detroit's case it's unclear as to whether or not the city has even acknowledged their guilt