Long, hot summer of 1967

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Long, hot summer of 1967
Part of the Ghetto riots
Film on the riots created by the White House Naval Photographic Unit
DateSummer of 1967
Location
United States
Resulted in Kerner Commission established
Casualties
Death(s)85+ [1]
Injuries2,100+
Arrested11,000+

The long, hot summer of 1967 refers to a period of widespread racial unrest across major American cities during the summer of 1967, where over 150 riots erupted, primarily fueled by deep-seated frustrations regarding police brutality, poverty, and racial inequality within Black communities. This term highlights the intensity and widespread nature of the urban violence that summer. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

The most destructive riots of the summer took place in July, in Detroit and Newark; many contemporary newspaper headlines described them as "battles". [5] President Lyndon B. Johnson established the Kerner Commission to investigate the causes of the riots and address underlying societal issues. [6]

Riots

The streets of Newark, New Jersey on July 14 during the 1967 riots Newark Riots 1967 (305517077) (cropped).jpg
The streets of Newark, New Jersey on July 14 during the 1967 riots
Destroyed buildings on July 24 during the 1967 Detroit riots Detroit 1967.jpg
Destroyed buildings on July 24 during the 1967 Detroit riots

Background

The United States experienced a series of "long hot summers" of racial unrest during the mid-to-late 1960s. They started with the Harlem riots in July 1964, and the Watts riots in August 1965. During the first nine months of 1967, over 150 riots erupted across American cities. The most destructive riots were in Detroit, Michigan and Newark, New Jersey. [7] [8] By September, 83 people were killed, thousands were injured, tens of millions of dollars' worth of property had been destroyed and entire neighborhoods had been burned. [9]

Systemic racism, police brutality, high unemployment rates, poor living conditions in urban Black neighborhoods, and a sense of hopelessness contributed to the widespread unrest. [10] [11] While significant civil rights legislation had been passed, many African Americans felt that the pace of change was too slow and the progress was not reflected in their daily lives. [12] [13] [14]

Newark and Detroit

The Newark riots were sparked by the arrest and beating of John William Smith, a Black cab driver, by police officers. The unrest lasted for five days, involving widespread looting, arson, and violent confrontations with police and National Guard troops. Some 26 people were killed, more than 700 were injured, and more than 1,000 residents were arrested. [15] [16] $10 million (equivalent to $91.38 million in 2023) in property was damaged, and destroyed multiple plots, several of which are still covered in decay as of 2017. [17] The Boston Globe described the Newark riots as "a revolution of black Americans against white Americans, a violent petition for the redress of long-standing grievances." The Globe asserted that Great Society legislation had affected little fundamental improvement. [15]

In Detroit, a large black middle class had begun to develop among those African Americans who worked at unionized jobs in the automotive industry. These workers complained of persisting racist practices, limiting the jobs they could have and opportunities for promotion. The United Auto Workers channeled these complaints into bureaucratic and ineffective grievance procedures. [18] Violent white mobs enforced the segregation of housing up through the 1960s. [19] The Detroit riots were sparked by a police raid on an unlicensed after-hours bar, commonly called the "Blind Pig," in a predominantly Black neighborhood. The riots lasted for five days, causing significant property damage, 1,200 injuries, and at least 43 deaths (33 of those killed were Black residents of the city). [20] Governor George Romney sent in 7,400 National Guard troops to quell fire bombings, looting, and attacks on businesses and police. President Lyndon Johnson deployed U.S. Army troops with tanks and machine guns. [21] Residents reported that police officers and National Guardsmen shot at black civilians and suspects indiscriminately. [19] [22] [21]

At an August 2, 1967 cabinet meeting, Attorney General Ramsey Clark warned that untrained and undisciplined local police forces and National Guardsmen might trigger a "guerrilla war in the streets," as evidenced by the climate of sniper fire in Newark and Detroit. [23] [24] [25] [26] Snipers were a significant element in many of the riots, creating a dangerous situation for both law enforcement and civilians, with shooters often targeting from rooftops and other concealed locations. [27] [28]

Reactions

It is in the context of having been through the "long, hot, summer" that in December, Miami police chief Walter E. Headley uttered the now-infamous phrase, "When the looting starts, the shooting starts", after which Frank Rizzo, Richard Daley and George Wallace also spoke out in favor of a hardline approach towards looters and rioters. [29]

In early July, the Justice Department met with local media to ask for "restraint in reporting". [30] In December, The New York Times asked a psychologist about "deterrents" and was told that the riots would continue. [31]

The FBI blamed the misery of ghetto life, oppressive summer weather, and Communist agitation. President Lyndon B. Johnson was convinced that inner-city poverty and despair were the principal ingredients behind the summer upheavals. [15] Johnson publicly denounced the violence and looting occurring during the riots, calling on citizens to reject lawlessness and work towards peaceful solutions. [32]

Political response

Throughout the summer that year, both the Republican and Democratic parties were split on how to handle the riots. In both parties two factions existed: one that advocated for law and order, and another that supported an approach based on social justice. Democrats held the majority of seats in both Houses of Congress while the Republicans held the minority. Despite common historiographical perceptions that depict the Republicans as being entirely in favor of a "law and order" styled approach to the riots, there was division in the party. President Johnson's popularity levels decreased that summer because of the riots. [33]

During July, conservatives in the Republican Party dominated its response to the riots. Republicans believed this would be an opportunity to attack President Johnson and his "War on Poverty" initiative. Many Republicans would end up blaming Johnson for what happened that summer and many supported cutting back on programs that benefited urban areas. [34] In the Senate, Republicans took a largely different approach that month than those who were in the House with most Republican Senators supporting Johnson's anti urban poverty programs. [35]

In the 1968 presidential primaries, the two factions of law and order along with social justice would clash in the Republican Party. Ronald Reagan would orientate himself as a law and order candidate, Nelson Rockefeller siding with the justice faction and Richard Nixon catering to both factions. Nixon would end up emerging victorious. Nixon called to control crime, scale back the War on Poverty and encourage black capitalism as a way to "restore urban areas". [36]

Kerner Commission

President Lyndon Johnson with some members of the Kerner Commission in the Cabinet Room of the White House President Lyndon Baines Johnson with some members of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (Kerner Commission) in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Washington, D.C..jpg
President Lyndon Johnson with some members of the Kerner Commission in the Cabinet Room of the White House

The riots confounded many civil rights activists of both races due to the recent passage of major civil rights legislation. They also caused a backlash among Northern whites, many of whom stopped supporting civil rights causes. [37] President Johnson formed an advisory commission, informally known as the Kerner Commission, on July 28, 1967 to explore the causes behind the recurring outbreaks of urban civil disorder. [38] [39] The commission's scope included the 164 disorders occurring in the first nine months of 1967. The president had directed them, in simple words, to document what happened, find out why it happened, and find out how to prevent it. [40]

The commission's 1968 report identified police practices, unemployment and underemployment, and lack of adequate housing as the most significant grievances motivating the rage. [41] It suggested legislative measures to promote racial integration and alleviate poverty and concluded that the nation was "moving toward two societies, one black, one white—separate and unequal." [42] The president, fixated on the Vietnam War and keenly aware of budgetary constraints, barely acknowledged the report. [43]

On August 10, the Kerner Commission would recommend in a letter to President Johnson that they should substantially and immediately increase the amount of African Americans serving in the National Guard and Air National Guard. The reason being they thought with more African Americans serving in the National Guard it could be a more effective force at preventing civil disorder. [44]

Polling

In a March 1968 Harris poll reported in The Washington Post , 37% of Americans agreed with the Kerner Commission's report that the 1967 race riots were brought on mainly by inequalities; 49% disagreed. A majority of whites (53%) rejected the idea, with just 35% agreeing. In contrast, 58% of blacks supported it, and only 17% disagreed. [45]

List of riots

Some of the riots include:

LocationDateDeathsInjuredArrestedNotes [46]
Omaha, NE1. April 1021200 black youths damaged police cars and looted stores.
Nashville, TN2. April 8 - 10014+100Black college students from Tennessee State University rioted for 3 consecutive nights along Jefferson Street after Stokely Carmichael was denied to speak at the college campus. [47]
Louisville, KY3. April 11 - Mid-June0700Black demonstrators protesting for open housing during segregation was harassed by white counter-protesters who threw rocks and bottles. During a visit by Martin Luther King Jr., 2,500 National Guardsmen protected the Kentucky Derby due to the possibility of a race riot. [48]
Cleveland, OH4. April 160Black youths looted stores in Hough in Cleveland, which was also the location of previous rioting in 1966.
Massillon, OH5. April 17017A fight broke out between black and white teenagers resulting in 17 arrests.
Wichita, KS6. May 2 - 30Black high school students fought against white students.
Jackson, MS7. May 121SeveralJackson State University student, Benjamin Brown was killed by 2 stray shotgun blasts by police into a crowd which was throwing rocks and bottles. [49] National Guardsmen restored order after two nights of rioting near Jackson State University.
San Francisco, CA8. May 14 - 15014+29+500 black youths rioted at the amusement park Playland, which spilled out into Golden Gate Park and Haight-Ashbury. [50]
Houston, TX9. May 171500Rookie police officer, Louis Kuba, was killed during unrest on predominately-black college campus. Nearly 500 students were arrested. [51]
Vallejo, CA10. May 210Black rioters stoned cars and snipers fought police after a drag race was broken up.
Chicago, IL11. May 210103010 people, including 3 police officers were injured and 30 were arrested in a melee during a memorial service for Malcolm X. [52]
Chicago, IL12. May 3003737 were arrested after a race-related clash.
Boston, MA 13. June 2 - 5010073A group of female welfare recipients started a sit-in at the Grove Hall Welfare Office at 515 Blue Hill Ave, resulting in a police response that angered the black population of Boston. The rioting spilled out along Blue Hill Ave for 4 days. The damage was estimated to be about 2 million in 1967 dollars (equivalent to $18,000,000in 2023). [53] The National Guard restored order soon afterwards.
Clearwater, FL14. June 301010 people were arrested after Black rioters attacked police for trying to break up a fight between 2 black men. [54]
Tampa, FL 15. June 11 - 142100+After police shot black man, Martin Chambers, after he and 2 others robbed a photo warehouse, rioting spread throughout Tampa for 4 days. As a result, a black man and a white police officer were killed, more than 100 people were arrested, and damage was reported at 2 million dollars in 1967 dollars (equivalent to $18,000,000in 2023).
Prattville, AL16. June 110410The National Guard sent in after Black snipers opened fire on the police following the arrest of Stokely Carmichael. [55]
Cincinnati, OH 17. June 12 - 19163404In Avondale, black man Posteal Laskey Jr. was convicted as the Cincinnati Strangler. Protesters of the verdict turned violent and rioting spread throughout Reading Road, Burnett Avenue, and eventually Bond Hill, Winton Terrace, Walnut Hills, Corryville, Clifton, West End, and Downtown. [56] As a result, 1 person was dead, 63 were injured, and 404 were arrested, and damages totaled 3 million dollars (equivalent to $27,000,000in 2023). It took 1000 National Guardsmen to quell the unrest. [57]
Montgomery, AL18. June 120National Guardsmen turned back black protesters against the jailing of Stokely Carmichael in nearby Prattville, who were marching on the State Capitol.
Los Angeles, CA19. June 130Stones and bottles were thrown at firemen in and near the Watts area (which was also the scene of a massive riot in 1965) while attempting to put out a fire that destroyed a small factory. [58]
Philadelphia, PA20. June 1304+2525 people were arrested and 4 policemen hurt after rocks and bottles were thrown around a 12-block area due to a dispute over a rug. [54]
Maywood, IL21. June 140Young black men and women rioted while demanding a swimming pool in a historically neglected area. [59]
Dayton, OH22. June 14 - 170Black gangs started smashing windows, setting fires, and looting after a speech by H. Rap Brown, head of Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. [54]
Middletown, OH23. June 1404Four black youths were arrested after youths threw rocks at cars, stores, and homes.
Lansing, MI24. June 16032Three people were injured and two people were arrested as black gangs hurled rocks and bottles at police.
Atlanta, GA 25. June 17 - 2012213Four days of disorder began after a fight ensued between a black male and a black security guard who would not let him in the Flamingo Grill located at the Dixie Hills Shopping Center.
Roanoke, VA26. June 230Several9A near-riot in a predominately black business neighborhood injured several and nine were arrested.
Buffalo, NY 27. June 26 - July 10100200Groups of black teenagers started looting along William Street and Jefferson Avenue. While it was broken up that night, on the next day, arson, looting, and vandalism broke out. About 100 people were injured and 200 were arrested. Damage was estimated at $250,000 (equivalent to $2,300,000in 2023).
Cincinnati, OH28. July 3 - 50One of 3 race-related riots that took place in 1967 in Cincinnati.
Los Angeles, CA29. July 60More rock and bottle throwing erupted in Watts.
Des Moines, IA30. July 9 - 1006Black gangs threw rocks and bottles resulting in six arrested.
Kansas City, MO31. July 901111 was injured and 11 were arrested after tear gas was dispersed on black looters who broke windows and attacked police cars.
Waterloo, IA32. July 9 - 10055 were injured in two nights of minor disturbances where African-Americans stoned passing cars and looted stores. [60]
Newark, NJ 33. July 12 - 1626727146526 were killed, 727 were injured, and 1,465 were arrested in Newark after false rumors of a black man being killed by police. In an attempt to contain the violence, the bridges along the Passaic River were closed every night and nearly 8,000 state police and National Guardsmen were deployed in Newark.
Plainfield, NJ 34. July 14 - 161150Spillover from Newark riots. In Plainfield, black rioters looted 90 stores and kicked/shot a white policeman to death. After an arms factory was broken into nearby Middlesex, New Jersey, National Guardsmen were also deployed in Plainfield.
Irvington, NJ35. ~July 140Spillover from Newark riots.
Orange, NJ36. ~July 140Spillover from Newark riots.
East Orange, NJ37. ~July 140Spillover from Newark riots.
Montclair, NJ38. ~July 140Spillover from Newark riots.
Asbury Park, NJ39. ~July 140Spillover from Newark riots.
New Brunswick, NJ40. ~July 140Spillover from Newark riots.
Elizabeth, NJ41. ~July 140Spillover from Newark riots.
Paterson, NJ42. ~July 140Spillover from Newark riots.
Jersey City, NJ43. ~July 140Spillover from Newark riots. In Jersey City, the violence ended quickly after the mayor took a tough stand.
Hartford, CT44. July 14011+20After a black teenager was arrested for swearing at a waitress, black gangs started rioting by throwing bricks and firebombs, resulting in 11 policemen being injured and 20 arrested. [61]
Erie, PA45. July 140One of 3 outbursts of arson and brick-throwing in Erie.
Des Moines, IA46. July 160Recurring violence in Des Moines.
Fresno, CA47. July 1601An anti-poverty worker was wounded by a gunfight. Firebombing caused 23 fires.
Greenwood, NC48. July 170Black and white rioters fought with rocks after five whites were charged with terrorizing a black minister in his home.
Cairo, IL 49. July 17 - 210After the jailhouse suicide of Robert Hunt, 9 firebombings took place and threats of violence were sent.
Erie, PA50. July 180One of 3 outbursts of arson and brick-throwing in Erie.
Nyack, NY51. July 19018Violence spread from Newark to New York when dozens of black youths ran through Nyack, taunting police, and breaking the windows of homes and businesses. [62] Police marched in a phalanx through the streets to break up bands of black marauders.
Minneapolis, MN 52. July 19 - 2402436After an alleged plot set up by Black Panther Party leader, Stokely Carmichael or/and the shooting of a black shoplifter by a Jewish business owner, violence erupted along Plymouth Avenue. 600 National Guardsmen were deployed to quell the outbreak of violence. Total damage was about 4.2 million dollars (equivalent to $38,400,000in 2023).
Durham, NC53. July 1903National Guardsmen watched over predominately black protesters. Two blacks were injured by gunshot by a passing car, windows were broken, and bricks were tossed at motorists by black and white rioters.
Lakeland, FL54. July 200Black youths threw fire bombs into white-owned grocery stores.
Bridgeton, NJ55. July 210Windows were broken by black rioters following the arrest of a black man.
Hattiesburg, MS56. July 2202727 black protesters were arrested for disturbing the peace in a boycott of stores.
Wadesboro, NC57. July 2201+After a black person was shot and run over by a car, black rioters went on a rock-throwing rampage.
Youngstown, OH58. July 220Violence involving blacks and whites resulted in 2 buildings being blown up by dynamite. [63] Police and firemen were harassed by rioters.
Englewood, NJ59. July 22 - 2403 nights of violence erupted in Englewood. At one point, 100 policemen were pinned down by snipers.
Houston, TX60. July 230Blacks gangs roamed through the streets and set three fires with fire bombs.
Detroit, MI 61. July 23 - 284311897231Nearly 1,200 people were injured and over 7,200 people arrested, many of them being the estimated 10,000 rioters who ravaged the city. The casualties and damages were the highest since the New York City draft riots or the Tulsa race massacre depending on what sources were compared. 2,509 buildings reported looting or damage while 412 buildings were burnt down or damaged enough that they had to be torn down. While news reports put costs from damage in the hundreds of millions, investigations have put estimates of property damage costs at 40 (equivalent to $366,000,000in 2023) to 45 million (equivalent to $411,000,000in 2023). [64]
Grand Rapids, MI62. July 23 - 25044 [65] 350 [65] Spillover from Detroit riot. The riot area was bounded by Wealthy Street on the north, Division Avenue on the west, Lafayette Avenue on the east, and Hall Street on the south. [65] National Guardsmen and State police were deployed as arson and looting went on for several days.
Pontiac, MI63. ~July 23225Spillover from Detroit riot. Two blacks were killed, one by a State legislator protecting his store. 25 rioters were arrested, 40 fires were set, and gun shops were looted.
Flint, MI64. ~July 230Spillover from Detroit riot.
Kalamazoo, MI65. ~July 230Spillover from Detroit riot.
Mount Clemens, MI66. ~July 230Spillover from Detroit riot.
Muskegon, MI67. ~July 230Spillover from Detroit riot.
Benton Harbor, MI68. ~July 230Spillover from Detroit riot.
Albion, MI69. ~July 230Spillover from Detroit riot.
New York City, NY 70. July 23 - 30429+32+Following the shooting of a Puerto Rican by a police officer, unrest erupted in Spanish Harlem along Third Ave between 109th and 126th Streets, South Bronx, and Bedford–Stuyvesant, resulting in the deaths of 4 Puerto Ricans.
Toledo, OH 71. July 23 - 25050+180Inspired by the Detroit riots, groups of black youths started looting stores. The rampage caused the National Guard to be deployed with orders to shoot to kill.
Birmingham, AL72. July 2301170+National Guardsmen helped police quell rioting. 11 were injured and more than 70 rioters were arrested.
New Britain, CT73. July 230Police sealed in a black neighborhood after an attack on a white motorist.
Rochester, NY74. July 23 - 242Violence erupted as white and black gangs raided each other's neighborhood, resulting in $60,000 damage (equivalent to $550,000in 2023) and 2 blacks killed.
Tucson, AZ75. July 23 - 240Black rioters fought police for two nights in Tucson.
Lima, OH76. July 23021Police arrested 21 black youths after being caught breaking the windows of stores.
Waukegan, IL77. July 23 - 250Police from neighboring cities came to Waukegan to help quell two days of vandalism.
Cambridge, MD 78. July 240After a police officer's shotgun was fired without warning, a pellet ricocheted and hit SNCC leader "Rap" Brown. National Guardsmen were sent in after night of rioting and shooting in which a 17 buildings were destroyed by fire.
Saginaw, MI 79. July 260750Spillover from Detroit riot.
Phoenix, AZ80. July 2602 days after the rioting in Tucson ended, it erupted again in Phoenix.
Mount Vernon, NY81. July 260Looting erupted around South Seventh Avenue and West Third Street and a state of emergency was declared by mayor Joseph P. Vaccarella. [66]
South Bend, IN82. July 2601000 National Guardsmen was sent into South Bend after roving black gangs in the western section of the city caused unrest. [67]
Marin City, CA83. July 2603Black rioters set fires and shot at firemen. Three people were wounded during the unrest.
Sacramento, CA84. July 26 - 270Stores were vandalized and hit by arson. A school was also hit by arson.
San Francisco, CA85. July 27 - 280Two nights of hit-and-run violence of blacks shooting at white youths.
Cincinnati, OH86. July 270One of three race-related riots that took place in 1967 in Cincinnati.
Philadelphia, PA87. July 270The mayor declared a state of "limited emergency" after vandalism erupted in Philadelphia.
Alton, IL88. July 270Supermarkets were vandalized as a cab driver was wounded and two police cars were hit by buckshot by a black gang.
New Rochelle, NY89. July 270Black youths returning from a community-action program threw rocks and broke 3 store windows.
Lorain, OH90. July 270National Guardsmen were sent in to quell vandalism and arson.
Albany, NY91. July 270Vandalism spreads to upstate New York.
Poughkeepsie, NY92. July 270Vandalism spreads to upstate New York.
Peekskill, NY93. July 270Vandalism spreads to upstate New York.
East St. Louis, IL94. July 27 - 2802323 people were arrested after two nights of window-smashing and arson.
Passaic, NJ95. July 270Vandalism spreads throughout New Jersey.
Waterbury, CT96. July 27011+At least 11 people were injured and 2 were shot in an outburst of rock-throwing and looting. Police used tear gas to quell the unrest.
Seattle, WA97. July 270Vandals and rioters set at least one fire and tossed rocks and bottles.
Memphis, TN98. July 270Violence subsided quickly after the National Guard was deployed in Memphis.
Springfield, OH99. July 2705Five people were arrested after a wave of rock-throwing and arson.
New Castle, PA100. July 28 - 300Roving bands of black teen-agers threw fire bombs, smashed windows with rocks.
Pasadena, CA101. Late July0Violence hit suburbs of Los Angeles in late July, resulting in the police using a new aerosol tear-gas gun called the Chemical Mace.
Long Beach, CA102. Late July0Violence hit suburbs of Los Angeles in late July, resulting in the police using a new aerosol tear-gas gun called the Chemical Mace.
Wilmington, DE103. July 28 - 29013 [68] 325 [68] City council passed riot-control measures as black gangs rampaged Wilmington.
Newburgh, NY104. July 290A Neo-Nazi rally resulted in fighting between black rioters and the National Renaissance Party, store windows broken, police cars broken, and 30 blacks arrested. [69] Police were also helped in controlling crowd by using the Chemical Mace.
Elgin, IL105. July 290Police sealed off five blocks of downtown Elgin after black gangs began setting fires, arson, and throwing bricks and bottles.
Rockford, IL106. July 29 - 3001144Two nights of rioting resulted in 11 injuries and 44 arrests.
Portland, OR 107. July 300115A civil rights protest grew violent after a member of the Black Panther Party did not show up. National Guard was put on alert as the rioters roamed through 30 square blocks of the city throwing rocks and smashing store windows.
Rivera Beach, FL 108. July 30 - 31045After a black man was arrested for a fight at a bar, rumors spread that a black man was beaten by police, resulting in 2 days of rioting. Police fired tear gas to break up a rampage of black rioters, while National Guardsmen were called up, but not used.
East Palo Alto, CA109. July 30 - 310Rocks and bottles were thrown until a patrol of black volunteers calmed the situation.
Milwaukee, WI 110. July 30 - August 341001740After police broke up a fight between 2 black women, objects were thrown at them and grew into 5 days of rioting, resulting in 4 dead, 100 injured, and 1740 arrested.
Wichita, KS111. July 310Black rioters fire-bombed two stores and stoned police and motorists.
Erie, PA112. July 310One of 3 outbursts of arson and brick-throwing in Erie.
West Palm Beach, FL113. July 31046Tear gas was used to break up a mob of approximately 400 blacks. A fire that led to damages of about $350,000 (equivalent to $3,200,000in 2023) led to the arrest of 46 people under Florida's new tough antiriot law.
Denver, CO114. July 31012A dozen youths were arrested after a mob of about 100 blacks bombarded police with rocks and bottles after breaking shop windows.
Providence, RI115. July 31 - August 102314A 35-block area in the southern, predominately black, area of Providence were sealed after black youths went on a rampage. [70] Riot squads battled snipers and routed rival gangs of whites and Negroes in two days of violence.
San Bernardino, CA116. July 31 - August 4 [71] 02 [71] 67 [71] Violence hit suburbs of Los Angeles in late July, resulting in the police using a new aerosol tear-gas gun called the Chemical Mace. [46] Unrest began after a crowd of 300 people at a house party were blocking the street which the police broke up. [71]
Washington D.C.117. August 10The nation's capital appeared heading for a riot when bands of black youths went on a midnight rampage, smashing dozens of store windows along H Street NE and setting a dozen small fires after a rock concert at the old Washington Coliseum. [72] Police, moving in quickly but quietly, restored order before dawn.
Wyandanch, NY 118. August 1 -0In business districts of Wyandanch, smashed windows of 3 stores, overturned 2 cars, hurled stones at police, set fires to the auditorium of the (now named) Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School on Mount Avenue, the Wyandanch VFW Hall, and the ambulance garage at South 20th Street and Straight Path throughout several nights of violence.
Sandusky, OH119. August 20Black teenagers smashed windows and arsoned two shopping centers after a black home was fire-bombed and several other black homes vandalized by four whites.
Peoria, IL120 August 2 - 3 [73] 04 [73] 7 [73] Police sealed off an open housing project for blacks after snipers fired at police directing traffic around a fire started by a fire bomb. [46] Started after arsonists had set a grocery store on fire. [73]
Wichita, KS121. August 40Black protesters marching on police station and courthouse renewed racial violence in Wichita.
Houston, TX [73] 122. August 15 - 1706 [73] Unrest began in Houston after a white male service station attendant shot a black male in an attempted robbery. Snipping and vandalism were reported to have happened. [73]
Syracuse, NY [73] 123. August 16 - 200186 [73] Syracuse would see civil unrest after a case of police brutality toward an African American man on August 15. [74] Property damages were estimated to be $66,000 (equivalent to $600,000in 2023). [73]
New Haven, CT [73] 124. August 19 - 2303 [73] 679 [73] Rioting began in New Haven after a Puerto Rican man had approached a restaurant owner with a knife and the restaurant owner shot him. 200 state troopers were called in as reinforcements for the riots and ended up lasting for four days. Most arrests occurred for violating a curfew that lasted for several days. [75] Interference with firefighting was reported and so were 90 cases of arson. About $149,000 (equivalent to $1,360,000in 2023) in property damage was caused. [73]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., a leading African-American civil rights activist, on April 4, 1968, Washington, D.C., experienced a four-day period of violent civil unrest and rioting. Part of the broader riots that affected at least 110 U.S. cities, those in Washington, D.C.—along with those in Chicago and in Baltimore—were among those with the greatest numbers of participants. President Lyndon B. Johnson called in the National Guard to the city on April 5, 1968, to assist the police department in quelling the unrest. Ultimately, 13 people were killed, with approximately 1,000 people injured and over 6,100 arrested.

The Plainfield riots was one of 159 race riots that swept cities in the United States during the "Long Hot Summer of 1967". This riot was a series of racially charged violent disturbances that occurred in Plainfield, New Jersey, which mirrored the 1967 Newark riots in nearby Newark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1943 Detroit race riot</span> Racial violence in Michigan

The 1943Detroit race riot took place in Detroit, Michigan, from the evening of June 20 through to the early morning of June 22. It occurred in a period of dramatic population increase and social tensions associated with the military buildup of U.S. participation in World War II, as Detroit's automotive industry was converted to the war effort. Existing social tensions and housing shortages were exacerbated by racist feelings about the arrival of nearly 400,000 migrants, both African-American and White Southerners, from the Southeastern United States between 1941 and 1943. The migrants competed for space and jobs against the city's residents as well as against European immigrants and their descendants. The riot escalated after a false rumor spread that a mob of whites had thrown a black mother and her baby into the Detroit River. Blacks looted and destroyed white property as retaliation. Whites overran Woodward to Veron where they proceeded to violently attack black community members and tip over 20 cars that belonged to black families.

Riots often occur in reaction to a perceived grievance or out of dissent. Riots may be the outcome of a sporting event, although many riots have occurred due to poor working or living conditions, government oppression, conflicts between races or religions.

The Milton S. Eisenhower Foundation is a non-governmental organization in the United States, established in 1981 to continue the work of two Presidential Commissions. These commissions were the bipartisan National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, and the bipartisan National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence. The Eisenhower Foundation carries forward the objectives and initiatives of these commissions in the private sector.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King assassination riots</span> Riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

The King assassination riots, also known as the Holy Week Uprising, were a wave of civil disturbance which swept across the United States following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968. Some of the biggest riots took place in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Chicago, and Kansas City.

The 1967 Milwaukee riot was one of 159 race riots that swept cities in the United States during the "Long Hot Summer of 1967". In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, African American residents, outraged by the slow pace in ending housing discrimination and police brutality, began to riot on the evening of July 30, 1967. The inciting incident was a fight between teenagers, which escalated into full-fledged rioting with the arrival of police. Within minutes, arson, looting, and sniping were occurring in the north side of the city, primarily the 3rd Street Corridor.

Locked in the Poorhouse: Cities, Race, and Poverty in the United States is a 30-year update of the final report of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, co-authored by former Kerner Commissioner, Senator and Milton S. Eisenhower Foundation Chairman Fred R. Harris and Eisenhower Foundation President Alan Curtis. The book was released in 1998 with a companion volume, The Millennium Breach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghetto riots (1964–1969)</span> American civil unrest, 1964-1969

The term ghetto riots, also termed ghetto rebellions, race riots, or negro riots refers to a period of widespread urban unrest and riots across the United States in the mid-to-late 1960s, largely fueled by racial tensions and frustrations with ongoing discrimination, even after the passage of major Civil Rights legislation; highlighting the issues of racial inequality in Northern cities that were often overlooked in the earlier focus on the Southern states.

"When the looting starts, the shooting starts" is a phrase originally used by Walter E. Headley, the police chief of Miami, Florida, in response to an outbreak of violent crime during the 1967 Christmas holiday season. He accused "young hoodlums, from 15 to 21", of taking "advantage of the civil rights campaign" that was then sweeping the United States. Having ordered his officers to combat the violence with shotguns, he told the press that "we don't mind being accused of police brutality". The quote may have been borrowed from a 1963 comment from Birmingham, Alabama police chief Bull Connor. It was featured in Headley's 1968 obituary published by the Miami Herald.

Colored People's Time (CPT) was an American Black Public Affairs Television program that emerged in October 1968 as a response for broadcasters to serve the public interest and public identity, an identity which included the large African American population. Airing on Detroit's public broadcasting station WTVS, Colored People's Time was produced by Gil Maddox and Tony Brown who created the program to fill the lack of representation of the Black community as detailed by the Kerner Commission Report set in place by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The Kerner Commission Report attributed the social insurrections in places such as Detroit and Newark primarily to racism, which was particularly reinforced through the media. As a direct result, broadcasters were then required to increase the accessibility and opportunity of media content which reflected the African American experiences and lifestyle.

The 1967 New York City riot was one of many riots that occurred during the long, hot summer of 1967. The riot began after an off-duty police officer, Patrolman Anthony Cinquemani, while trying to break up a fight, shot and killed a Puerto Rican man named Renaldo Rodriquez who had a knife and lunged toward him.

References

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  3. ↑ Friedland, Michael B. (1998). Lift Up Your Voice Like a Trumpet: White Clergy and the Civil Rights and Antiwar Movements, 1954–1973. University of North Carolina Press. p. 189. ISBN   9780807846469.
  4. ↑ Bould, Mark; Vint, Sherryl (2011). The Routledge Concise History of Science Fiction. Routledge. p. 105. ISBN   9781136820410.
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  6. ↑ McLaughlin 2014, p. 39.
  7. ↑ Evans, Farrell. "The 1967 Riots: When Outrage Over Racial Injustice Boiled Over". History.com. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  8. ↑ Upchurch, T. Adams (2007). Race Relations in the United States, 1960–1980. p. 35.
  9. ↑ Gonsalves, Kelly. "The 'long, hot summer of 1967'". theweek.com. The Week.
  10. ↑ Sullivan, Patricia (2021). Justice Rising: Robert KennedyÕs America in Black and White. Harvard University Press. p. 346. ISBN   978-0-674-73745-7. The summer of 1967—the "summer of love" for America's youth counterculture—was a "long hot summer" for Black urban Americans, a season of the deadliest and most widespread racial strife in US history. Racial clashes, disorders, and rebellions erupted in an estimated 164 cities in thirty-four states, bringing the nation's crisis to a boil.
  11. ↑ "The Riots of the Long, Hot Summer". Encyclopedia Britannica . Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  12. ↑ Herbert J Gans (1968). "The Ghetto Rebellions and Urban Class Conflict". Proceedings of the Academy of Political Science. 29 (1): 42–51. doi:10.2307/3700905. JSTOR   3700905.
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  14. ↑ Howard, Ashley M. (November 12, 2014). "How U.S. Urban Unrest in the 1960s Can Help Make Sense of Ferguson, Missouri, and Other Recent Protests". Scholars Strategy Network. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
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  26. ↑ Roberts, Gene (July 26, 1967). "Troops Battle Detroit Snipers, Firing Machine Guns From Tanks; Lindsay Appeals To East Harlem; Detroit Toll Is 31 Rioters Rout Police-- Guardsmen Released To Aid Other Cities". The New York Times.
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  73. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Riots, Civil and Criminal Disorders Hearings Before the United States Senate Committee on Government Operations, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Ninetieth and Ninety-First Congresses · Parts 13-19. United States Government Printing Office. 1968. pp. 2770–2771 – via Google Books.
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