Race Riots, 1964-67

What were the riots of 1964 to 1967?

There were 329 major race riots in cities across America between 1964 and 1967, caused by the problems black people faced in the ghettos.

Where did the riots of 1964 to 1967 take place?

The race riots of 1965 to 1967 took place in 8 main locations:

• ❖ Los Angeles in 1965.
• ❖ New York in 1964.
• ❖ Chicago and Cleveland in 1966.
• ❖ Newark and Detroit in 1967.
• ❖ Washington and Cleveland in 1968.

What were the causes of the riots between 1964 to 1967?

There were 6 main causes of the race riots:

• ❖ Schools were often run down, poorly funded and badly equipped.
• ❖ Housing and living conditions were poor.
• ❖ There was police discrimination against black people, wrongful and violent arrests, and police brutality towards African Americans.
• ❖ Black people mostly had low-paid, unskilled jobs. Unemployment figures were double those of white people.
• ❖ Authorities did little to help with problems in the ghettos. Complaints from black neighbourhoods were ignored.
• ❖ The assassination of Martin Luther King in April 1968 was a key trigger.

What happened during the riots of 1964 to 1967?

Over 200 people were killed, thousands were injured and 27,000 were arrested. There was also at least $45 million worth of damage caused.

What happened in Los Angeles during the riots of 1964 to 1967?

There were main 4 events during the Los Angeles race riots:

• ❖ They happened in the Watts district.
• ❖ They happened between 11th and 17th August, 1965.
• ❖ More than 14,000 National Guardsmen were called in to deal with the riots.
• ❖ There were over 4,000 arrests, 34 deaths and massive property damage.

What was the result of the riots of 1964 to 1967?

The riots had 5 important consequences:

• ❖ The riots drew attention to the severity of the problems that existed in the ghettos.
• ❖ The government ordered an investigation into the causes of the riots, which led to the Kerner Report.
• ❖ President Johnson began to allocate more money for improvements and ordered an investigation into the reasons for the riots.
• ❖ Before his assassination, Martin Luther King began to campaign in the north.
• ❖ The riots shocked America and the civil rights movement lost support because of the violence.