The King Assassination Riots were a series of more than 100 cases of civil unrest that occurred in the wake of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This turmoil was apparent throughout the nation as racial tensions rose to a volatile level. Different degrees of unrest … Read MoreThe Martin Luther King Assassination Riots (1968)
One of the biggest riots in the history of Charlotte, North Carolina came in reaction to the shooting involving Keith Lamont Scott, a 43-year-old black man. The shooting, along with the ensuing riot, garnered international news attention. It also advanced the debate promulgated by the Black Lives Matter movement on … Read MoreKeith Lamont Scott (1973-2016)
The Cincinnati Riot was a four-day period of civil disorder that occurred in response to the shooting death of nineteen-year-old Timothy Thomas by Cincinnati Police Patrolman Stephen Roach. Officer Roach was attempting to arrest Thomas for traffic citations. The riot mostly took place in the Over the Rhine … Read MoreThe Cincinnati Riot (2001)
Police official, business leader, and civil rights advocate Elbert T. Hudson was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, on November 16, 1920. Three years later, his family moved to Los Angeles, California. In 1924, his father, H. Claude Hudson, became president of the local chapter of the … Read MoreElbert T. Hudson (1920-2017)
Latasha Harlins, whose short life came to a violent end in the midst of racial tensions in Los Angeles, California, became a major spark for the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. Harlins was born on July 14, 1975 in East St. Louis, Illinois, to Crystal Harlins … Read MoreLatasha Harlins (1975-1991)
The Algiers Motel Incident occurred in Detroit, Michigan on July 25, 1967, two days after the Detroit Race Riot began. The incident started when Army National Guardsman Ted Thomas reported hearing gunshots at the Algiers Motel Annex. Detroit Police, Michigan State Police, and other National … Read MoreAlgiers Motel Incident (1967)
The 1966 Dayton, Ohio Uprising began on September 1, 1966 after the murder of African American Lester Mitchell by an unknown white assailant. Mitchell was sweeping the sidewalk in front of his bar at 3:00 a.m. when, according to witnesses, a red car pulled up to Mitchell and a white … Read MoreThe Dayton Ohio Uprising (1966)
With his death in 2014, eighteen-year-old Michael Brown’s name became synonymous with the growing Black Lives Matter movement and a nationwide debate about unarmed black men being fatally shot by law enforcement. Michael Brown Jr. was born on May 20, 1996, to Lesley McSpadden and … Read MoreMichael Brown Jr. (1996-2014)
Odessa Cox is the principal founder of Los Angeles Southwest College (LASC), which serves a predominantly black and brown community in South Central Los Angeles, California. Born Odessa Brown on June 8, 1922, in Whatley, Alabama, she was a second-generation community activist. Her father, Chester … Read MoreOdessa Cox (1922–2001)
The largest number of African American townships after the Civil War were located in Oklahoma. The state was promoted as a ‘safe haven’ for Blacks by both local and national leaders. As a result, between 1865 and 1920, dozens of townships and settlements were founded … Read MoreDeep Greenwood (Tulsa), Oklahoma (1906- )
