1968 King assassination riots

1968 King assassination riots
Title	1968 King assassination riots
Date	April–May 1968
Place	United States
Causes	Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Methods	Rioting, arson, looting, protests
Fatalities	Estimated 43–70+
Injuries	Hundreds
Arrests	Thousands

1968 King assassination riots

The 1968 King assassination riots were a series of urban disturbances across the United States following the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. that catalyzed unrest in dozens of cities and reshaped policy debates in Congress, the White House, and municipal administrations. The disturbances produced widespread destruction in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Memphis, Tennessee, prompting intervention by leaders including Lyndon B. Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Richard Nixon, and municipal mayors such as Richard J. Daley and Henry Loeb. Federal responses involved deployments by the National Guard, the United States Army, and coordination with agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice, and the Civil Rights Division.

Background

In the 1960s the Civil Rights Movement led by figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph Abernathy, John Lewis, and Bayard Rustin confronted segregation in cities like Birmingham, Alabama, Selma, Alabama, and Jackson, Mississippi while organizations including the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the Congress of Racial Equality, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People pressed for legislative change. Legislative milestones such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 catalyzed debate between proponents like Hubert Humphrey and opponents such as George Wallace and influenced urban policy directed by officials in New York City, Los Angeles, Detroit, and Cleveland. Economic and social conditions focused attention from scholars like Michael Harrington and commentators in outlets such as The New York Times, Time (magazine), and The Washington Post.

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee; the killing was investigated by the Memphis Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and later subject to civil litigation involving the King family. Coverage by broadcasters including CBS News, NBC News, ABC News, and newspapers such as The New York Times and The Washington Post spread the news nationwide, prompting public statements by Lyndon B. Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Richard Nixon, and activists from groups like the Black Panther Party and labor leaders including Walter Reuther.

Timeline of the Riots

Immediately after the assassination, spontaneous demonstrations erupted in cities with histories of unrest including Washington, D.C., Chicago, Baltimore, Cleveland, St. Louis, Kansas City, Boston, Philadelphia, Newark, New Jersey, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Cincinnati. Over the following days actions ranged from protests organized by chapters of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee to confrontations involving municipal police departments, state governors such as Nelson Rockefeller and Spiro Agnew, and federal forces including units from the 82nd Airborne Division and the 101st Airborne Division. Key moments included curfew impositions, mass arrests coordinated by municipal police chiefs like Felix Royster and sheriffs in counties such as Shelby County, Tennessee, and emergency meetings at The White House and United States Capitol with lawmakers from the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Geographic Spread and Major Cities Affected

Major urban centers affected included Washington, D.C., where the District of Columbia National Guard and the United States Army restored order; Chicago, where Mayor Richard J. Daley mobilized the Chicago Police Department; Baltimore, with interventions by the Maryland National Guard; Memphis, Tennessee, where local officials such as Mayor Henry Loeb confronted protesters; New York City, deploying the New York Police Department; Los Angeles, involving the Los Angeles Police Department; and Detroit, with prior memories of the 1967 Detroit riot shaping response by Mayor Jerome Cavanagh. Secondary disturbances occurred in Rochester, New York, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Virginia, Newark, New Jersey, Cleveland, St. Louis, Kansas City, Missouri, Milwaukee, San Francisco, Oakland, California, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, and Boston.

Causes and Contributing Factors

Contributors included economic conditions highlighted by analysts like Daniel Patrick Moynihan and activists linked to the Poor People's Campaign, longstanding segregation in cities such as Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama, frustration with policing practices exemplified in incidents involving departments like the Chicago Police Department and the Los Angeles Police Department, and tensions between civil rights organization leaders including Martin Luther King Jr. and more militant critics such as Stokely Carmichael and members of the Black Panther Party. Media coverage from outlets including The New York Times and Time (magazine) amplified images similar to prior confrontations in Selma, Alabama and Birmingham Campaign (1963), while policy debates in Congress over antipoverty programs and urban renewal involving the Department of Housing and Urban Development shaped local responses.

Responses: Law Enforcement, Government, and Military

Federal leadership from Lyndon B. Johnson authorized National Guard activations by governors such as Nelson Rockefeller and George Wallace ordered state responses; the Federal Bureau of Investigation under J. Edgar Hoover coordinated intelligence with local police forces including the Chicago Police Department and the Memphis Police Department. Military deployments included elements of the 82nd Airborne Division and the 101st Airborne Division, while presidential advisers such as Clark Clifford and cabinet members including Robert F. Kennedy (who was campaigning for president) engaged with civil rights leaders like Ralph Abernathy and union officials from the AFL–CIO. Municipal measures included curfews, emergency ordinances passed by city councils in Baltimore City Council and Chicago City Council, and relief coordination with the Red Cross.

Impact and Aftermath

The disturbances resulted in significant property damage in commercial corridors like U Street (Washington, D.C.), West Garfield Park (Chicago), and parts of West Baltimore, spurring insurance claims, urban redevelopment initiatives such as those involving the Urban Renewal programs, and political realignment influencing the 1968 United States presidential election won by Richard Nixon. Congressional action included hearings by committees in the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives concerning urban policy, law enforcement funding increases, and debates over the Kerner Commission's later investigations. Economic consequences affected businesses including local chapters of national retailers and prompted migration debates involving cities like Los Angeles and New York City.

Legacy and Commemoration

Long-term effects influenced scholarship by historians such as Taylor Branch and commentators in publications like The Atlantic (magazine), spurred preservation efforts for sites including the Lorraine Motel now part of the National Civil Rights Museum, and informed commemorations by municipal governments, civil rights organizations like the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and cultural figures including Nina Simone and Bob Dylan who addressed civil rights through music. Policy legacies touched policing reforms in departments like the New York Police Department, urban renewal programs in cities such as Chicago and Baltimore, and the work of the Kerner Commission which examined causes of urban unrest and reported to Lyndon B. Johnson.

Category:1968 protests Category:Civil rights movement Category:Riots and civil disorder in the United States