aug 11, 1965 - 1965: Watts Riots
Description:
A series of violent confrontations between the city police and residents of Watts and other predominantly African American neighborhoods of Los Angeles began on August 11, 1965, after a white police officer arrested an African American man, Marquette Frye, on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Later accounts indicated that Frye resisted arrest but were unclear whether police had used excessive force. Violence, fires, and looting broke out over the next six days. The disturbance resulted in 34 deaths, more than 1,000 injuries, and $40 million in property damage. The McCone Commission later investigated the causes of the riots and concluded that they were not the work of gangs or the Black Muslim movement, as the media had previously suggested. The violence likely exploded from the great economic challenges that African Americans in urban centers faced. They contended with poor housing, schools, and job prospects, despite the passage of civil rights legislation.
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Civil RIghts Timeline
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