In two turbulent outbursts the city of Detroit has been subjected to civil disorder on a massive scale. The greatest of these occurred in 1967, but prior to this the Detroit race riot of 1943 was the most devastating civil disorder in national history. It remains a powerful gauge by which other racial disorders can be measured. Who were the rioters? Why did they riot? In line with George Rude's call for scholars to identify -faces in the crowd, - this valuable study describes and analyzes those individuals who rioted in Detroit during June of 1943 and outlines the causes for the riot.