Detroit 1967

This is our last full day in Detroit. The weather remains unseasonably warm and rather humid, so we decided to spend most of the day in air-conditioned comfort.

We started off in the Detroit Institute of Art which is hosting part of an exhibition for the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Detroit "riots". Having seen the exhibition, entitled "Art of Rebellion: Black Art of the Civil Rights Movement", I'm much more inclined to call it a "rebellion" against all sorts of chronic discrimination against the black community although I accept that there was an element of indiscrimate rioting as well.

There was also an exhibition of photographs (entitled "D-Cyphered") by photographer Jenny Risher illustrating the Hip Hop movement in the Detroit area. The photos were fabulous, with superb composition and lighting.

In the afternoon we continued the theme with a visit to the Charles H Wright Museum of African American History, which is hosting the second part of the exhibition we saw first in the morning, entitled "Say it Loud: Art, History, Rebellion". We followed this by looking round a further exhibition on African Americans, "And Still we Rise: The African American Journey".

Altogether a fascinating and educational day which makes one almost feel guilty to be white. My blip is a photo of one of the exhibits, showing the 3 unarmed teenagers killed at the Algiers Motel, Detroit, in 1967 and further names of black folk who've been killed by police much more recently.

Song of the day: "American Skin (41 Shots)" by Bruce Springsteen. In the song, Bruce clearly criticises racism in the poilice force - but he also indicates how law enforcement officers have to make difficult instant decisions - "is it a gun, is it a wallet, is it a knife...?".