WATTS RIOTS
(August 11, 1965)
The Watts riot occurred in Los Angeles in the Watts neighborhood. A white police officer pulled over a black man on a motorcycle (Marquette Frye), suspecting that he was driving while drunk. The incident attracted a lot of attention; several people began gathering around the scene. Soon after, more officers arrived and the incident turned violent; the officers began hitting Frye and his brother (who was with him) with their batons. Not only did this episode affect the Frye family, but also those watching around. The police brutality sparked a riot; after the police left, the fights began. The uprising lasted 6 days, and called for National Guard and law officers to show up.
BOMBING OF 16th STREET BAPTIST CHURCH
(August 11, 1965)
The Ku Klux Klan planted a bomb inside the 16th Street Baptist Church during its Sunday services, killing four girls and injuring more than 20. It was no accident since the Ku Klux Klan specifically targeted the church, due to the fact that it was the largest black church in the area.
NEWARK AND DETROIT RACE RIOTS
(1967)
The Newark riot started with the arrest of John Smith, an African-American cab driver. He was stopped by the police, interrogated, then arrested and taken to jail, where he was beaten by police officers. The news of the incident spread, and soon, people began gathering around the building in which Smith was held. Soon enough, people began demanding he be taken to a local hospital. Eventually, Smith died (rumors are that he died in the police building, although others claimed he was taken to a hospital.) Soon after, the crowd began throwing things at the police building. Eventually, things got out of control and there was much violence between several groups of people. After two days, the National Guard showed up. Even with the troops, however, violence was present. It escalated quickly; after 6 days, several people died and many others injured or arrested. Police brutality against African Americans, however, was only one factor contributing to the violence seen in Newark.
The Detroit riot began with a police raid on an after-hour drinking bar in Detroit, Michigan. People got mad about the raid, claiming they were being thrown out of the "only place they had to go." Thus, violence broke out; several people began causing trouble, such as breaking windows, throwing things, etc. This incident, along with the injustice the African-American community had received was bound to spark an uprising (as it did). By the end of the riot, which lasted several days, more than 40 people lay dead, over 1,000 were injured, and thousands were arrested.
The Detroit riot began with a police raid on an after-hour drinking bar in Detroit, Michigan. People got mad about the raid, claiming they were being thrown out of the "only place they had to go." Thus, violence broke out; several people began causing trouble, such as breaking windows, throwing things, etc. This incident, along with the injustice the African-American community had received was bound to spark an uprising (as it did). By the end of the riot, which lasted several days, more than 40 people lay dead, over 1,000 were injured, and thousands were arrested.