Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien

JULY 29, 2017 (1x17)

Air date: Jul 29, 2017

Soledad O’Brien covers a tumultuous moment in American history – the nationwide civil unrest during the summer of 1967. In July of that year, five days of protest broke out in Detroit leaving 43 people dead, 1189 inured, over 7000 arrests and more than 2000 buildings destroyed, making it the deadliest instance of civil disorder since the Civil War draft riots. It served as a catalyst for Pres. Lyndon Baines Johnson’s establishment of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, which was tasked with finding the cause of these outbreaks. Their conclusion: “We are moving toward two societies, one black, one white – separate and unequal.” Soledad O’Brien visits Detroit to see how the city is moving forward with its past and interviews the last surviving member of the Commission to see how those lessons can be applied today. Then, she speaks with a panel of Detroit journalists to discuss the city’s current challenges and opportunities for growth. And, correspondent Jessica Gomez takes us inside the Detroit Historical Museum where they are still debating the question the civil unrest of 1967 was a riot or a rebellion.