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Series IV: Miami Inner City Minority Experience / Defense Race Relations Institute
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In the late 1960s the Department of Defense conducted a study to determine the causes of racial unrest in the Armed Forces. As a direct result of that study, the Defense Race Relations Institute (DRRI) was established on June 24, 1971 by Deputy Secretary of Defense David Packard. This institute was located at the Patrick Air Force Base in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The DRRI's primary objective was to reduce racial tension and prevent violence in the armed forces. The students in the Institute represented a broad cross section of American ethnic backgrounds and every branch of the service. The Institute provided a comprehensive 6 week program that included a 50-hour experiential workshop. This workshop was developed by Bob Simms and his company, Robert H. Simms & Associates. The experiential workshop became known as the Miami Inner-City Minority Experience (MICME) and was conducted from 1972 to 1976. MICME was based on the DRRI's curriculum and theories learned, and an authentic, hands-on experience that began on a Friday afternoon and concluded two days later.