Dr ossian sweet books

On september 9, 1925, two longstanding features of american lifeviolence by whites against blacks and the right of a homeowner to use force against intruderscollided in detroit, michigan, with deadly results. May 09, 2017 david oyelowo to star in movie about historic detroit civil rights case. Kevin boyle, a professor of history at ohio state university, recently won the national book award nonfiction for arc of justice. It has been 90 years since ossian sweet tried to move into his new home. He has a small, black mustache, full firm but not thick lips, nice teeth, and a good forehead. The confrontation ended in a murder indictment when a white man was killed. Philip dray, author of at the hands of persons unknown. A saga of race, civil rights, and murder in the jazz age. October 30, 1895 march 20, 1960 was an africanamerican physician in detroit, michigan. Ossian sweet, a proud negro doctorgrandson of a slavehad made the long. Sweet was african american in the 1920s, and his life tells the story of race struggles in this countrythen and now. October 30, 1895 march 20, 1960 was an american physician in detroit, michigan known for being charged with murder in 1925 after he and friends used armed selfdefense against a hostile white crowd protesting his moving into their neighborhood. In the 94 years since the incident, there have been a countless number of books and articles written about dr.

Clarence darrow in defense of the american dream is the dramatic story of dr. Ossian sweet, a black physician, shot and killed a person in a mob that was. Hayes a famous lawyer who was the legal adviser in the sweet s case. He was the second of nine children one of whom, his older brother oscar, died in childhood. Ossian sweet, an africanamerican physician who moved his family to an allwhite neighborhood in 1920s detroit. Aug, 2018 detroit its a regular occurrence for curious people to stop by the home of dr. Ossian sweet home to open to the public the michigan.

Born in 1895 in orlando, florida to tenant farmers, sweet earned a medical degree from howard university. Ossian sweet, a black detroit physician, moved to the city in 1924, after studying for a time in vienna and paris, where he had worked with marie curie. Ossian sweet, purchased a house on garland street at charlevoix, an attractive home where he and his wife and baby daughter could live. Ossian sweet by patricia zacharias the detroit news.

Du bois term for the group of black professionals who would by leadership and example, improve the life for their people. Arc of justice explores a sliver of its history, focusing on an incident in 1925 when black doctor ossian sweet purchased a house in a white neighborhood a. If i thought any of you had any opinion about the guilt of my clients, i wouldnt worry, because that might be changed. All or almost all of the books that focus upon the history of detroit between world war i and the 1960s, include a long chapter about the sweet litigation. Ossian sweet house being preserved to reflect civil rights struggle. Boyle adapted his book as a play entitled the sweet trials, which dramatizes the history of the trials and their. Previous attempts to purchase homes in white neighborhoods had led to riots, violence, and death threats.

Now, for the first time, the home located at 2905 garland will be open to the public for educational purposes. Clarence darrow in defense of the american dream, published by harpercollins. A saga of race, civil rights, and murder in the jazz age by kevin boyle s. Sweet, for whom he did errands when he ws growing up in black bottom. The house was designed by maurice herman finkel, and in 1925 it was bought by its second owner, physician ossian sweet, an african american. Ossian sweet, a prominent african american physician, purchased a home in an allwhite detroit neighborhood. The autobiography of coleman young, detroits first black mayor. Ossian sweet bought a house in a white neighborhood in 1925. He is known for being charged with murder in 1925 after he and his friends used armed selfdefense against a hostile white crowd protesting after sweet moved into their neighborhood. He is terrified of moving into an allwhite neighborhood in detroit, but knows his wife likes the house and he feels it is a house that fits his status as a physician. Sweet was african american in the 1920s, and his life tells the.

The sweet trials to an audience of family scholars from across the country as an illustration of the 2007 conference theme. Ossian sweet along with ten family members and friends for murder after a mob attacked his detroit home caught the nations attention in 19251926. He writes that the former owner of the house on garland street was a lightskinned black. When his neighbors attempted to drive him out, sweet defended himselfresulting in the death of a white man and a murder trial for sweet. Ossian sweet, clarence darrow, and judge frank murphy that became an early and significant marker for civil rights efforts. Ossian sweet s story, so richly and poignantly captured here, is an epic tale of one man trapped by the battles of his eras changing times. Interview with kevin boyle, winner of the national book. He convinced the realtor to let him buy a house on garland avenue which was an all white neighborhood. Ossian sweet, who defended his home against a raging mob. Artists are restoring the home on detroits east side to how it looked 94 years ago when the black doctor faced a mob trying to. Ossian project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks read. The ossian sweet story is the jubject of kevin boyles national book awardwinning arc of justice. The lynching of black america arc of justice is one of the most engrossing books i have ever read. Ossian sweet selfdefense act apr, 2006 2006 bill which would allow an individual to use deadly force against an attacker with no duty to retreat under certain conditions.

Sweet s personal history, growing up in florida, and a look back at his father and grandfather, who had been born a slave. The main character who is a promising young doctor who purchases a home on garland avenue and is subsequently attacked, leading to the shooting that is the main plot line. Ossian sweet defended his family, and was arrested for it. Sep 11, 2019 all 11 occupants in the sweet home the night of september 9, 1925 were put on trial that november. Ossian sweet explained his decision to his brother. Ossian sweet, a proud negro doctorgrandson of a slavehad made the long climb from.

Ossian sweet rose from humble beginnings and became a doctor who tried to help the poor. In a better world, it would be fairly unremarkable. Interview with kevin boyle, winner of the national book award. The first trial concluded with a hung jury and a mistrial by judge frank murphy. Detroit exploded as a result, and a largely forgotten, yet pivotal, civil rights moment in modern american history unfolded. Although this was the leading civil rights trial of the 1920, there is no single book devoted to dr. Ossian sweet s house not only honors a landmark in civil right history. Ossian sweet, a proud negro doctorgrandson of a slavehad made the long climb. The clarence darrow collection university of minnesota. Sweet decided to move his family into his garland avenue home on september 8. Ossian sweet, a model citizen who dared to move into a house the ku klux klan thought should be offlimits to an accomplished member of the black bourgeoisie. Ossian sweet home was added to the state of michigan register of historic places.

Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Ossian sweet the main character who is a promising young doctor who purchases a home on garland avenue and is subsequently attacked, leading to the shooting that is the main plot line. Sweet was arrested and charged with murder after a member of a white mob attacked his home was shot and killed. Ossian sweet moved his wife and daughter to the house knowing hed be crossing the color barrier. This black doctor faced down an angry white mob storming his house and was acquitted of murder. Arc of justice is the winner of the 2004 national book award for nonfiction. Ossian sweet sweet was born the second son to henry sweet and dora devaughn in bartow, florida, eight days before the death of his oldest brother oscar. This is the story of ossian sweet, who stood his ground in his own home, bought with. Jacqueline spotts of bartow, florida is the niece of dr. An electrifying story of the sensational murder trial that divided a city and ignited the civil rights strugglein 1925, detroit was a smoky swirl of jazz and. Ossian sweet house being preserved to reflect civil rights. Boyles book, arc of justice, won the national book award for nonfiction and was a finalist for the pulitzer prize and the. Sweet, ossian haven 30 october 189520 march 1960, physician, was born in orlando, florida, the son of henry sweet, a methodist minister and farmer, and dora devaughn. Social, economic, and environmental justice for all communities.

South america epic wins the national book award the new. This black doctor faced down an angry white mob storming. Ossian sweet, a respected black medical doctor, purchased a modest home on the periphery of a white neighborhood in detroit. They come with your mothers milk and stick like the color of. When a white mob gathered to force sweet back to the ghetto, sweet gathered friends and acquaintances for protection.

Linder, university of missourikansas city school of law. Ossian sweet purchased this detroit home on garland and charlevoix so he could bring up his daughter in good surroundings. Get a printable copy pdf file of the complete article 146k, or click on a page image below to browse page by page. Sweet, a graduate of howard university medical school, bought this twostory brick house in an allwhite detroit neighborhood in 1925. Ossian sweet decided to move his wife and baby daughter from the crowded lower east side black ghetto into an allwhite neighborhood at garland and charlevoix. During the retrial, henry sweet, was acquitted, along with dr. Sweet received his doctor of medicine degree in 1921 and headed back. Reports of the scopes antievolution case and the dr. That said, and as much as i like this book, i still believe the authors metaphor missed an important if not a glaring part of the subtext. The ossian sweet story is the jubject of kevin boyles national book.

Dedicated and placed inside the frank murphy hall of justice in detroit on may 2, 1986. Ossian sweet, the site of a historic 1925 mob scene against a black family that had moved into the. The young ossian, named for a white governor of florida who supported integration, seeks a better life through education, attending the colleges available to blacks. Inside was a young black doctor named ossian sweet who had dared to. Sweet had taken advanced studies in medicine, studying from marie curie among others. This book captured the cost of integration in the north. Reading the sweet trial national endowment for the.

The ossian sweet trial a state bar of michigan site. Ossian sweet i n 1910 there were approximately 6,000 africanamericans living in detroit out of a population of 250,000. Ossian sweet, whose purchase of a house in an allwhite neighborhood in detroit in the early 1920s sparked a race. David oyelowo to star in movie about historic detroit civil rights case. Jun 17, 2015 ossian sweet rose from humble beginnings and became a doctor who tried to help the poor. Like most families, he wanted to live in a better neighborhood with better schools. The place where ossian sweet bought a house and was later attacked by a mob there and forced to defend himself. Selected books from the ossian collection of 327 volumes, originally assembled by j. Detroit fights to save home in deserted neighborhood. Soon after he moved in, the house was the site of a confrontation when a white mob of about 1,000. David oyelowo to star in movie about historic detroit civil. Reading the sweet trial national endowment for the humanities. American library association, notable book, 2005 washington irving, book selection, 2005 great lakes book award, 2004 phyllis vines latest book, one mans castle.

Sweet s tinderbox, by brenda perryman, is a dramatization of the historic detroit murder trials involving dr. In appearance, he is a well set up, broadshouldered, quiet, firmjawed, dignified man, with tired eyes, so dark that beside them his brown face seems considerably lighter than it really is. Historian david levering lewis has called this tragic tale. Full text full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. Ossian sweet aspired to be among the talented tenth, w. Ossian sweet photo courtesy of walter reuther library, wayne. At the groves conference on marriage and family in detroit, five actors presented a condensed version of arthur j. Before moving in, sweet prepared himself for the mob he expected to face. The home of black physician ossian sweet became the site of a racial incident that resulted in a nationally publicized murder trial. Kevin boyles vivid, deeply researched arc of justice is a powerful document that reads like a. Ossian sweet moved his family to an allwhite detroit neighborhood in 1925. New film will depict the story of ossian sweet and the 1920s murder trial that put a spotlight on racism in the motor city.

An electrifying story of the trial that divided a city. Ossian sweet, a model citizen who dared to move into a house the ku klux klan thought should be offlimits to an accomplished member of the black. Sweet house is a privately owned house located at 2905 garland street in detroit, michigan. Du bois term for the group of black professionals who. A detroit news article on the sweet case by patricia zacharias. Youngs book provides a look at life in a highly segregated city and another excellent book gives you the whole fascinating tale of dr. Sep 07, 2011 a short documentary focusing on african american physician ossian sweets decision to move into an allwhite neighborhood in 1920s detroit. Ossian sweet was an africanamerican physician in detroit, michigan. David oyelowo to star in movie about historic detroit. He bought nine guns and enough ammunition for all of them.

One day in the summer of 1925, a doctor bought a house on the east side of detroit. Different editions and translations of james macphersons epic poem ossian, some with a map of the kingdom of connor. Inside was a young black doctor named ossian sweet who had. It meant they could move out of their current living arrangement, with mrs. Having recently married and fathered a child, he wished to avoid the slums and find decent housing. Arc of justice is one of the most engrossing books i have ever read. The sweets had a total of ten children and lived in a small farmhouse, on the little money they could earn through their farm. In kevin boyles evocative account, the civil rights saga of gladys and ossian sweet finally has the home it has long deserved. This extensively researched and beautifully presented tragedy of dr. The amendment passed in the senate by voice vote on june 6. Kevin boyles vivid, deeply researched arc of justice is a powerful document that reads like a greek tragedy in black and white. Ossian sweet, whose purchase of a house in an allwhite neighborhood in detroit in the early 1920s sparked a. There followed one of the most important and shockingly unknown cases in civil rights history. Ossian sweet s effort to reside in a home he purchased in an allwhite detroit neighborhood in 1925 rings with racial ramifications for our time.

This trial and a retrial of ossian sweet s younger brother henry exposed racial tensions in northern cities in the years following the great migration born in bartow, florida in 1895, ossian sweet and his siblings grew up. Boyle, a professor of history at ohio state university, wrote of the life of dr. The amendment passed in the senate by voice vote on june 6, 2006. Social, economic, and environmental justice for all families.