Coleman Young 1973 Inaugural Address...

[cassdetroit]

For what seems like one of the more important and historic speeches in Detroit history, I can't find any evidence of 1) video footage or 2) just the full-text of the speech.

Anyone have any clues?

[DetroitPlanner]

Have you tried the historical society or Burton Historical Collection?

[cassdetroit]

I'm not living in Detroit at the moment, so that's not currently an option

[Detroitnerd]

I found it on YouTube in, like, five minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-er3fkMnFYY

[daven]

Should that be 1974?

[MikeM]

Coleman A. Young was inaugurated as mayor of Detroit for the first time Jan. 2, 1974. Here is the text of his remarks:

I want to thank Council President [[Carl) Levin and Mayor [[Roman) Gribbs for their kind words, for the pledge of support they have offered my new administration. I will need all of their help and more. I am gratified that we have a new Common Council which I feel shares as deep a belief as I personally feel for the necessity for moving forward.


The first problem that we must face as citizens of this great city, the first fact that we must look squarely in the eye, is that this city has too long been polarized.

We can no longer afford the luxury of hatred and racial division. What is good for the black people of this city is good for the white people of this city. What is good for the rich people of this city is good for the poor people of this city. What is good for those who live in the suburbs is good for those of us who live in the central city.


It is clear that we have a commonality of interests. The suburbs cannot live without the city. The white population of this city cannot live while its black people suffer discrimination and poverty.


And so I dedicate myself - with the help of the Common Council, and more basically with your help - toward beginning now to attack the economic deterioration of our city, to move forward the significant first step that has been made since the Renaissance Center, to deal with the problem of rebuilding our city economically.


I recognize the economic problem as a basic one, but there is also a problem of crime, which is not unrelated to poverty and unemployment, and so I say that we must attack both of these problems vigorously at the same time.


The Police Department alone cannot rid this city of crime. The police must have the respect and cooperation of our citizens. But they must earn that respect by extending to our citizens cooperation and respect.


We must build a new people-oriented Police Department, and then you and they can help us to drive the criminals from the streets.


I issue a forward warning now to all dope pushers, to all ripoff artists, to all muggers: It's time to leave Detroit; hit Eight Mile Road.


And I don't give a damn if they are black or white, of if they wear Superfly suits or blue uniforms with silver badges: Hit the road.


With your help, we shall move forward to a new and greater Detroit. We must first believe in ourselves. We must first do for ourselves. Yes, we will demand our share of revenue from Washington and from Lansing, but the job begins here and now with us.

Ladies and gentlemen, the time for rhetoric is past - the time for working is here, the time for moving ahead is upon us. Let's move forward together.

[majohnson]

"I issue a warning to all those pushers, to all rip-off artists, to all muggers: It’s time to leave Detroit; hit Eight Mile Road! And I don’t give a damn if they are black or white, or if they wear Superfly suits or blue uniforms with silver badges. Hit the road."

Above is the quote that matters. Notice he was telling drug pushers and drug offenders to hit 8 mile and established that rule would not be applied selectively based on a person's race.
It is frustrating that I continue to hear people claim Young told white people to hit eight mile.
And yes, it should be 1974.

[fryar]

Interesting. Not nearly as divisive, at least in and of itself, as he is often made out to be.

It's discomforting that a lot of what he says echoes various posts on this board.

[mwilbert]

I understand that part of Young's initial appeal was his criticism of how the police department behaved, and of the STRESS program in particular. However, connecting the "pushers", the "muggers" and the "ripoff artists" with people wearing "blue uniforms with silver badges" might give one cause to think that his rhetoric was not entirely fact-based. I'm not sure how many of them were wearing Superfly suits either, although I certainly saw some Superfly-inspired cars in those days.

[Carey]

Despite the urban legend that he was a wild-eyed race-baiter, a close examination of Young's words and actions in office would reveal a person who urged conciliation and working together, especially in his first couple of terms, as he did in that first innaugural speech. The reputation of that speech as some sort of call for bad guys to invade the suburbs basically came from the reactions of small-minded suburban politicians who were quoted in a Detroit News article.

[lilpup]

"I issue a warning to all those pushers, to all rip-off artists, to all muggers: It’s time to leave Detroit; hit Eight Mile Road! And I don’t give a damn if they are black or white, or if they wear Superfly suits or blue uniforms with silver badges. Hit the road."

Above is the quote that matters. Notice he was telling drug pushers and drug offenders to hit 8 mile and established that rule would not be applied selectively based on a person's race.
It is frustrating that I continue to hear people claim Young told white people to hit eight mile.
And yes, it should be 1974.

It wasn't taken then as you interpret it here - it was taken for what he said - criminals, go hit the suburbs

Now had he said Detroit was going to rid itself of criminals by catching them or probably even if he had been non-specific by saying he was going to drive out crime it wouldn't have created the fuss that it did. BTW this is also what entrenched the Eight Mile symbolism.

[Danny]

"I issue a warning to all those pushers, to all rip-off artists, to all muggers: It’s time to leave Detroit; hit Eight Mile Road! And I don’t give a damn if they are black or white, or if they wear Superfly suits or blue uniforms with silver badges. Hit the road."

The result, crime increased slowly there today! But quicker at the dominating black communities in the Metro-Detroit suburbs! Thanks a heap Coleman Young for that awkward speech!

WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET!

As more rip-off artists, muggers and guys wearing bloods and crips are about to hit 20 Mile Rd.

Neda, I miss you so.