What were the causes of the Black Riots in the 1960s?
RACISM IN AMERICA
What were the causes of the Black Riots in the 1960s?
Throughout the 1960s many riots involving black people and other minority groups took place in the Eastern States of America. The 1965 riots in Watt County were one such example and demonstrated the horrific inequalities still present in America one year after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 had been introduced. The riots lasted for six days, leaving 34 people dead, over a thousand injured, nearly 4,000 arrested and hundreds of buildings destroyed.
There were many factors that played a part in causing the riots such as a failing education system, damaged relations between the police force and minority groups (especially black African Americans) and poor medical care. High unemployment within these groups and an unwillingness for change amongst the majority of state governments also contributed to the problems seen in 1965.
Poor housing was a major problem at the time for African Americans. It was almost impossible for these people to get loans, due both to prejudice and the fact most black people had very low-income jobs. Banks were understandably reluctant to hand out money to high risk borrowers such as these. This lead to a great deal of discontent within the community and the lack of money also meant that any accommodation they could afford was of a very poor standard. As a result many lived in damp, squalid conditions.
In addition there were certain areas set aside purely for white people where black people were forbidden to move next to or even near a white person. This meant that the housing available to Black People was severely limited, even if they did have money available to them. Black people very quickly became annoyed at the unfairness of this and again this caused them to feel the only way to voice their objections was in a violent manner such as the riots of the 1960s.
Another reason for the discontent and anger leading up to the Watts County riots was the competition between minority groups. Rather than pulling together and uniting in their battle for equality as one might expect, they instead formed strong rivalries that lead to fierce conflict for the limited resources not already taken by white people. Also many white people preferred to hire lighter-skinned minorities, most of whom were Chicanos. This caused unrest within the black community, who were angry and upset as this meant there were very few jobs left available.
Arguably the most significant single factor which contributed to the 1960s riots was the issue of policing at the time. For many years there had been negative encounters between white members of the Los Angeles police force and the African Americas and this lead to resentment within black society. Many officers were corrupt and above all racist and discrimination was widespread and apparent. A large number of officers lied in arrest reports against black citizens and some even beat and tortured Black men regardless of whether or not they had committed or were even suspected of committing any crime. These officers abused their authority within the community using it not to achieve justice and order, but as a tool for racial harassment. "Bending fingers back, twisting ears, tightening hand cuffs into medieval torture devices and slamming heads against doors while plying them in vehicles" were some of the more mild attacks carried out by white police men on black African Americans.
Black People were very aware that they were being treated unfairly, and their civil rights violated. If it is the very agencies that are meant to be protecting people, who are discriminating against them, then citizens are forced to find another way to make their voices heard and it was this feeling of helplessness which lead to the riots seem in Watts County during the 1960's.
What were the causes of the black riots in the 1990s?
Less than 30 years on from the devastating clashes between black and white Americans in the 1960's, saw another wave of riots in the Los Angeles district. Fifty-five people were killed in several days of attacks and looting against whites and Asians. Nearly 2,000 people were injured with another 12,000 being arrested.
In addition to the problems still being faced by Black people such as housing, unemployment and education, there were two main triggering factors which led to these riots.
The first of these incidents was the beating of a black man named Rodney King by L.A.P.P police officers in the early hours of March 3rd 1991. Traffic officers stopped King's car after a high speed chase. Ordering him from the ear, the
four men and women repeatedly beat Mr King with their batons. This suffered a fractured skull and obtained many internal injuries. The entire incident was caught of camera by a passer by and the officers were soon arrested. The real spark however, came in 1992 when all four were cleared of assault. This caused uproar within the Black community. They were furious and within hours violence erupted across the city. From this we can see that the Rodney King incident was one of the most significant contributing factors to the 1990 riots.
The second main triggering factor was the shooting of a 15 year old black American girl by a Korean shop owner. There was already tension between the two groups which had emerged from cultural and linguistic difference. Koreans believed that black people were aggressive and loud, and accused them of shoplifting and using racist remarks. They also perceived them as being uneducated and lazy.
On the other hand, African Americans felt the business ethics and practices of
Koreans to be poor. They saw them to be exploiting the community with high prices and rude service. Also ...
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The second main triggering factor was the shooting of a 15 year old black American girl by a Korean shop owner. There was already tension between the two groups which had emerged from cultural and linguistic difference. Koreans believed that black people were aggressive and loud, and accused them of shoplifting and using racist remarks. They also perceived them as being uneducated and lazy.
On the other hand, African Americans felt the business ethics and practices of
Koreans to be poor. They saw them to be exploiting the community with high prices and rude service. Also unlike the previous Jewish owners of the businesses, Koreans had little or no ties to the community, which aggravated the situation even more.
The killing of the 15 year old girl lit the fuse to this smouldering situation, making black people angry and wanting to seek revenge on the Koreans and this came in the form of the riots in the 1990s.
Explain the similarities and differences between the black riots in the 1960's and those in the 1990's.
There are many similarities and differences between the black riots in the 1960's and those in the 1990's. Although different in nature, the causal factors behind the two riots are very much the same.
Both sets of riots were sparked by routine traffic stops and therefore the police played a significant role in both incidents. In 1965 officers stopped two black brothers and their mother, claiming they were under the influence of alcohol. They were then arrested and beaten. Similarly in 1991 the arrest and brutal beating of Rodney King, resulting in a fracture skull and serious internal injuries was a major cause of the later riots. It can be seen that the application of unnecessary force by racist police officers played a key park in starting both of the riots.
Moreover, tension between minority groups was also central to both riots, however the races involved were different. In the 1960s it was the straining relations between Black African Americans and Chicano, both of whom were fighting for the same limited resources. In comparison, in the 1990s the problem was between black people and Koreans. The shooting of 15 year old Latasha Harlings was the final spark to this tension.
As well as these main factors causing outrage across the African American community there were also other problematic situations common to both. Unemployment and poor housing caused a great deal of unrest in the times leading up to both riots and the issues of lack of education and inadequate public services such as school and health care were still present in the 1990s.
Although the specifics of the two riots were different, many of the underlying causal factors are similar and as such this indicates that little had improved in the 30 years separating the two incidents.
Martin Luther King once said in a famous speech, 'I have a dream....' How close is modern day America to seeing this dream realised?
On the 28"August 1963 Martin Luther King, a famous Civil Rights activist, delivered the most famous speech of his career to an audience of thousands on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. Although much of the speech can be taken purely at face value, it also has a much deeper meaning.
In the speech, Martin Luther King outlined all the changes that needed to be made in order for America to 'live out the true meaning' of the Civil Rights Act signed 100 years before. He explained that if America was to move forward, it had to start regarding all Americans as equal, regardless of the colour of their skin. He was trying to put the message across that for America to evolve it must have unity between its people and races.
Martin Luther King then went on to tell of his dream about the day when his four children could live in a nation that does not judge them on the colour of their skin, but instead on their character and personality. As well as this, he also dreamt that in the future the current inequality and injustice of America would be transformed into a situation where "little Black boys and little Black girls can join hands with little white boys and little white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers". In other words he wanted a country free from segregation and the oppression it caused. He dreamt of a country where there are no barriers between races and no one is thought of, or treated differently.
In essence his whole speech can really be summed up as the righting of all the wrongs of the past, to create a country where the laws set down in the Emancipation Proclamation are actually enforced.
So just how close is modern day America to seeing this dream realised? The quality of life for Black Americans now is definitely the best it has ever been and it is certainly true to say that a number of very pleasing advances have taken place in the relatively short period of time since the speech was made. In almost 40 years America has seen the complete abolition of segregation throughout society, from the schooling system to public transport. People from all races are now able to work and socialise together, as in Martin Luther King's dream of white and black children playing together. Also, all public places must now be available for use by people from all races and failure to do so has been made illegal.
In addition, the laws set down by the Civil Rights Act are now fully enforced in the courts and anyone found to be breaking these rights is brought to trial. A good example of the great deal of progression within the law is that there are now many black High Court Judges, some of the most senior law enforcers in America. This is a massive contrast to the unfair and blatant discrimination of much of the police force in the 1960s.
Changes for the better can also be seen in other professions and many black people are now reaching the very top of their careers. In fact, some of the highest wage earners are now black. Opera Winfrey, for example, was born in Mississippi, previously one of the most racist states in America, however thankfully times have changed and she is now one of modern America's the richest citizens. Further examples include Collin Powell, a very senior government official, Tiger Woods, World Champion golfer and Serena Williams, a famous and successful tennis player.
Although there have been a lot of positive steps forward and it can be said that Martin Luther King's dream has largely been realised, sadly racism in America has not disappeared completely and there is still work to be done before his dream is fully achieved. For example there are still racially motivated attacks and even murders, some of which do still involve members of the police force. Even though racism both within institutions and by individuals has been made illegal, it is difficult to change attitudes of the past, especially in the more southerly states. If people are brought up with racism around them from an early age it can be extremely hard to change their ideas and it is only now that the next generations are being educated about racism that views about black people are starting to change.
Finally, there has not yet been a black president of the United States and this perhaps reflects on the progress of society as a whole. Martin Luther King's dream as mostly been realised, however there are still finishing touches to be put in place.
Of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, who do you think was the more successful in their approach to improving the lives of American Americans today?
Both Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were united in their quest to improve the lives of African Americans and bring about change to the widespread discrimination and inequality of America during the 1990s, however they adopted very different approaches to achieving these dreams. The ways in which they went about protesting and improving life of the black Americans today, and the reasons for their different approaches are as follows.
To begin with the two men had very different upbringings and backgrounds. Martin Luther King had a steady childhood, he was very well educated and had never been in trouble with the police. Malcolm X, on the other hand, had a very unsettled start in life. His father was a member of a group working to improve the situation for black Americans and as such the family was regularly the target of hate attacks. In 1929 their home was burnt down and two years later Malcolm X's father was murdered. As well as having to cope with the death of his father, Malcolm X or Malcolm Little as he was previously know, also had to deal with his mother being sent to mental hospital shortly afterwards. She stayed there for the next 26 years. Malcolm X moved to a different town with his sister, where after becoming addicted to cocaine, he turned to crime and was later arrested.
The great variation in their backgrounds was reflecting in their differing aims and approaches to the Civil Rights movement. Martin Luther King was concerned only with bringing about equality and enforcing the changes to the Emancipation Proclamation. Malcolm X on the other hand, did not believe that this was enough. He was a strong supporter of "Black Power". Followers of this belief wanted no integration with whites whatsoever. They wanted a purely Black society in which white people were banned. "Black Power" was widely condemned amongst African-American communities. Martin Luther King in particular was very much against the idea, saying "black supremacy would be as evil as white supremacy".
As well as differences between their aims, the two men also varied considerably in the ways in which they went about achieving them. Martin Luther King used a form of democracy know as 'non violent direct action'. This was a very effective way of protesting and included such actions as the bus boycotts, hunger strikes, and sit ins. In comparison Malcolm X was know to be much more violent in his approach. He believed that the methods of Martin Luther King were not enough and that non-violent action was very one sided. He was of the opinion that if white people were carrying out attacks on black people then blahs should fight back. Black people were beaten and even killed, yet they were reluctant to retaliate. Martin Luther King did not however agree. As a result of his more educated upbringing he realised that the way forward was not through the use of violence, because although the current situation was grossly unfair, resorting to using the same violent method as white people would only heighten their dislike for African-Americans.
Much of the success of both men hinged greatly on their own personal skills and talents. King was a natural speaker who was able to capture an audiences attention and convince them to adopt his point of view. Indeed one of his most famous speeches, "I have a dream...." has gone done in history and will be remembered for many years to come.
Malcolm X, although not a particularly good speaker, had another very strong attribute fuelling his desire to succeed. The murder of his father which lead to the break down of his mother had left a very lasting impression of white people on him. His deep down hatred for white racist gave him a large source of motivation, and although this was perhaps not put to the best of uses, certainly helped him in his work.
Of King and Malcolm X it is fair to say that Martin Luther achieved more in the struggle to improve life for Black Americans. The bus boycotts and sit-ins organised by him had a direct effect on the abolition of segregation and his speeches gave hope and encouragement to many thousands of black people throughout America.
Having said this, Malcolm X did have a positive affect in that he raised awareness for the Black cause, demonstrating that they were annoyed with the unfair situation in America and would resort to violence unless something was done.
As well as the achievements while he was alive, Martin Luther King also won the Nobel Prise, one of the most prestigious awards in the world, showing his real success and it is for this reason, as well as the others above, that I believe him to have been the more successful of the two.
To what extent do you think present attitudes are influenced by events and attitudes from the past?
It is certainly true that for Black Americans and other minority groups America is now a much safer and more equal place to live. Racism has died out from the widespread hatred and injustice of the past and there has been a lot of progress made throughout the United States. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 lead to more equal country and segregation has been abolished and made illegal. The vast majority of white Americans today have very positive attitudes towards Black people, however it can often be hard and take a long time for attitudes of individuals to be changed. Segregation was common for a long time and many people grew up with images of black and white people being separated in everyday life and this was regarded as both normal and acceptable. After this was made illegal it would have been very hard for people to come to terms with the new laws, leading to a situation where much of the population would still believe in the principles of segregation, despite it being against the law. This is a problem that can only be solved by education of new generations and thankfully we have now entered a time in which generations have never come across such segregation. Children today are growing up with the knowledge and impression that it is normal for people of all races to mix.
However it is not all good news. Even in modern society there are still racist attacks and discrimination is still present in certain areas. Although segregation does not still exist, it could be argued that it does still occur albeit in a very small way. For example there are some places that black Americans still would not go to, as they are fearful of how they may be received, even though legally they have as mph right to do so as anyone else. This might be a particular pub or club whose customers are still very unfriendly towards black people, or even as big as certain areas of towns.
In addition, racially motivated crime still occurs including a number of brutal beatings and even killings, some of which still involve police officers. This worryingly suggests that attitudes of the past are still being passed down and have not yet completely disappeared. During the 1960s discrimination was particularly present amongst the police forces. It is significant that this occasionally stills occurs as it gives a good indication of the current overall situation in America; although racism is now a lot more controlled, attitudes of the past can still he found and racism is still present today. In fact as short a time ago as February 2000 thousands of angry citizens marched down Manhattan's 5" Avenue in protest of the acquittal of four white police officers who shot dead an unarmed African American. It appears not as much progress has been made as may first be thought. Again, although all American police departments maintain very strict anti-racist policies and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind, the sad fact is that some of the officers have close relations and other influences who may still favour old opinion, especially those living in the more southerly states, This traditional "Southern" view, as it is called, is difficult to stop being passed down through generations. The southern states were the centre of slavery up until the end of the civil war, relying on it heavily for their industry. Having viewed and treated African-Americans differently for such a long time has meant that it is all the more hard to change people's beliefs in this area.
Having said this, there have been many positive improvements in the lives of black people brought about by activists such as Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Along the same lines President John F. Kennedy denounced racism during his term in government. There were also improvements to Education (allowing both black and white children to attend the same school) and the Civil Rights Act and subsequent amendments were a good step forward for black people. In America today the majority of white people see African Americans as no different to themselves and the two groups mix freely. Black People have exactly the same rights as any other America citizen; all attend school and are entitled to vote. In addition, some of the most famous and influential people in America are African American and this signifies a major change in the attitudes of the vast majority of America. On October 6 '2003 the American top 10 singles chart was made up entirely of black artists for the first time ever. For an artist to be number one, or indeed in the top ten, he/she must have almost the entire support of the public and this is a big achievement for black African Americans. It shows that at the present time they are fully accepted in society and for this to happen peoples' attitudes must have changed.
It is difficult to predict what may happen in the future. Some people believe that Black leaders may be returning to the idea of "Black Power", however I do not believe that this is the case. I think that as time moves, racism will become less and less of an issue, but will never disappear completely. There will always be certain people in society who take in upon themselves to single out and pick on others, and just as a bully in a school may pick on someone different, racists will continue to discriminate against black Americans because of the colour of their skin. This however will become less prominent every year.
To sum up, I do not believe that past events and attitudes have a very significant influence on peoples' attitudes today. People look back on mistakes of the past and use them as a reminder not to allow anything similar to happen again, and in my opinion this is how most people in America regard racism. Education has meant that children are now taught about racism, and with every new generation the current attitude that black people are equal is strengthened. There are of course a minority who choose still to discriminate against African-Americans; however this is nothing like as widespread as it used to be.