Decades of silence and erasure have been symbolically interrupted with the unveiling of a new historical marker at the site of the Algiers Motel incident in Detroit, where three Black teenagers were killed by police 57 years ago during a tumultuous period of civil unrest. The marker stands as a testament to a grim episode that had gone without formal recognition for far too long, according to a CBS News Detroit report. Victims Aubrey Pollard, Carl Cooper, and Fred Temple, who lost their lives in July 1967, are memorialized, with the community and their families finally witnessing some semblance of acknowledgment.
Mayor Mike Duggan, present at the unveiling, highlighted the significance of the marker for educating future generations. "This day should have been done a long time ago," Duggan stated, according to CBS News Detroit. In an incident mired in alleged police brutality and judicial failures, the three teens were shot and killed by white police officers who were later acquitted by all-white juries, as detailed by FOX 2 Detroit. The tragedy has cast a long shadow over the city and those personally touched by the violence.
Survivor Lee Forsythe, recalling the deep scars left by his experience, told FOX 2 Detroit, "I saw my best friend die. I heard him take his last breath." The historical marker has been a collaborative effort, with civil rights historian Danielle McGuire playing a critical role. "This marker, this memorial, is a bond between the living and the dead — between those of us that can tell the truth about the past, and those who can't," McGuire said in a statement obtained by FOX 2 Detroit.
The absence of a physical structure to mark the horrors once played, out until now, has compounded the pain felt by the families and the community. The area, currently a park managed by Midtown Detroit Inc., is now a space that balances remembrance with hope for reckoning and reconciliation, as noted by historian Danielle McGuire during the dedication ceremony reported by The Detroit News. "A marker and honest history — truth-telling — can go a long way into transforming that space into something more positive," McGuire expressed. Still, for the survivors and families of Pollard, Cooper, and Temple, the marker, though a significant step, cannot fully encapsulate the struggle they endured.
Reflecting on the recent dedication, Thelma Pollard-Gardner, sister of victim Auburey Pollard, harbors the tragic memory of receiving the fatal phone call. "I'm glad they put the marker up because... I want the people of Detroit and other people to know and never forget what happened July 26, 1967," Pollard-Gardner told The Detroit News. The ceremony marked a pivotal moment for acknowledgement and a stepping stone for further action and understanding within the community.
