Dr. Ossian Sweet Memorial Park. Photo: Courtesy of the city of Detroit via Flickr
A new park opened this week telling the story of a 100-year-old racist incident in Detroit.
The big picture: Dr. Ossian Sweet Memorial Park was built for $1 million on vacant lots next to the former Sweet family home on Garland Street, according to a news release.
Educational installations, signs and details in the park help tell Sweet's story.
Flashback: In 1925, the prominent Black physician bought a house for his family in a white Detroit neighborhood on the east side, per the Detroit Historical Society.
White neighbors became angry and gathered outside, leading to a large mob that threw rocks and bottles at Sweet's house.
Shots were fired from the home into the crowd, killing one person and leading to the arrests of those inside.
The NAACP helped with the defense of those arrested, taking on the issue of defending one's home, as well as racist housing policies — and the process eventually led to an acquittal.
Between the lines: The Sweet home is owned by the Ossian H. Sweet Foundation and was recently restored to eventually open as a public museum.
