1960s Race Riots Harlem Riots-1964 15 Year old James Powell was shot by a Police officer Lieutenant Thomas Gilligan Conflicting accounts- Powell possibly had a knife. Lasted 6 nights including a rally by CORE 4000 participants, 1 dead, 118 injured, 465 arrested

Watts Riot--1965 Marquette Fry is pulled over under suspicion of drunk driving and crowd gathers to watch Escalates when his brother brings his mother to scene, officer then arrests both brothers and mother Crowd starts to throw debris at officers, crowd grows. Police attempt to break up crowd several times but are met with thrown rocks and concrete. Lasts 6 days, up to 35000 participants, 34 dead, 1032 injured, 3400 arrested, $40 million in property damages 2300 National Guardsmen called in to help

Newark Riots--1967 A cab driver was arrested for improperly passing a police car. Witness saw the cab driver “incapacitated and being dragged into the police precinct.” Escalated further when a woman was killed in her apartment by stray police bullets 26 dead, 725 injured, 1500 arrested, $10 million in property damages

Detroit Riots--1967 Police raid on an unlicensed drinking club resulted in 82 arrests. A crowd gathered in protest as police waited for a “clean up crew” One group then breaks windows of an adjacent clothing store. Expands from there. Within 48 hours, national guard and 82nd airborne is mobilized 5 days, 43 dead, 1200 injured, 7000 arested, $80 million

Kerner Commission- 1986 President Johnson calls commission to study the causes of urban violence Blames violence on white racism “Calls to create new jobs, construct new housing, and end de facto segregation in order to wipe out the destructive ghetto environment” Johnson resist too much change do to electorate pressure