LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — As excitement builds for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, a lesser-known chapter of Detroit’s history is being revisited: its ambitious yet unsuccessful bid to host the 1968 Olympics. A new documentary, “Detroit’s Olympic Uprising,” explores the city’s efforts to pursue this dream and the turbulent social backdrop that ultimately led to its downfall. The film revisits this fascinating episode, offering a fresh perspective on a lesser-known period in Detroit’s past. 

Under the guidance of industrialist Fred Matthaei Sr., Detroit became a candidate for the 1968 Summer Olympics, the Detroit Free Press reports. The plans included a new main stadium at 8 Mile and Woodward, with hopes that the games would promote Detroit as a city of progress and sportsmanship. President John F. Kennedy even endorsed Detroit as “the center of a great sports community,” galvanizing local support. 

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Despite the outward optimism, the reality of Detroit in the 1960s was far from the idealistic vision promoted by city leaders. Mayor Jerome Cavanagh, elected in 1961 with significant support from the Black community, faced the challenge of addressing racism while promoting the Olympic bid. The 1963 killing of a Black woman, Cynthia Scott, by a Detroit police officer and the city’s rejection of an open housing ordinance exacerbated racial tensions, leading to widespread protests led by groups like UHURU — a group of young Black activists started at Wayne State University. 

“Detroit’s Olympic Uprising,” directed by Stefan Szymanski and written by Silke-Maria Weineck, owes much of its richness to their research. Funded by the University of Michigan, the film benefits from the academic expertise of both Szymanski and Weineck, who are professors at the university. 

Their investigation uncovered a wealth of historical materials housed in the Detroit Public Library archives, Szymanski told the Detroit Free Press. The film combines vintage footage and interviews with key figures, including UHURU members and descendants of Fred Matthaei Sr. 

The documentary does not shy away from the question of what might have happened if Detroit had hosted the Olympics. While some, like Szymanski, argue that the economic benefits of hosting the Olympics are often overstated, the potential for social and infrastructural change in Detroit remains a tantalizing “what if.” 

For those interested in learning more about this chapter of Detroit’s history, “Detroit’s Olympic Uprising” will be screened for free at the University of Michigan Detroit Center. The event also promises a discussion with the film’s producers following the screening. 

Event Details:

  • Date and Time: 5-7 p.m., July 23
  • Location: University of Michigan Detroit Center, 3663 Woodward Ave., Suite 150, Detroit
  • Cost: Free (Registration required)  
  • Hosted by: University of Michigan’s Center of Race & Ethnicity in Sports, the Arts Initiative, and the Detroit Center

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The trailer is available on the documentary’s official website.