Alison Mellon

We set out on Sunday morning from our home near Plymouth and Meyers for K-Mart, three of us looking for things for our little daughter. The radio was on, and suddenly the music was interrupted by announcements that, "many blocks of inner-city Detroit were by burning." We looked at each other, incredulous! What was this all about? Should we be going home?

I was a student at Wayne State University, and the next day I set out for campus, only to learn that classes were cancelled. So, instead, we put our baby in the back seat of our Mustang and started down Grand River. We were turned back by National Guardsmen with bayonets. Take your baby home, they said. This isn't safe, they told us. Get out of here!

Finally, a few days later, I was able to attend classes at Wayne. Some of my black classmates wept because of what was happening. I was astounded. How could this happen in my city, in my Detroit?