Kerner Commission

Kerner Commission
Trikosko, Marion S., photographer · Public domain · source
Name	Kerner Commission
Formed	July 28, 1967
Dissolved	March 1, 1968
Jurisdiction	United States
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Chairman	Otto Kerner Jr.

Kerner Commission. The Kerner Commission, officially known as the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, was established by President Lyndon B. Johnson in response to the widespread 1967 Detroit riot and other 1967 Newark riots that occurred in United States cities during the summer of 1967. The commission's primary goal was to investigate the causes of these civil unrest and provide recommendations to prevent future occurrences, consulting with experts such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Stokely Carmichael. The commission's findings and recommendations were influenced by the work of Sociologists like W.E.B. Du Bois and E. Franklin Frazier, and were presented to Congress and the American public.

● Introduction

The Kerner Commission was formed on July 28, 1967, with Otto Kerner Jr. as its chairman, and included other notable members such as John Lindsay, William McCulloch, and Roy Wilkins. The commission's mandate was to examine the underlying causes of the civil disorders that had taken place in cities like Detroit, Newark, Los Angeles, and Chicago, and to provide recommendations for preventing future riots and improving race relations in the United States. The commission consulted with a wide range of experts, including Psychologists like Kenneth Clark and Mamie Clark, and Sociologists like Robert Merton and C. Wright Mills. The commission's work was also influenced by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which were signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

● Background

The Kerner Commission was established in response to a wave of civil unrest that swept across the United States in the summer of 1967, including the 1967 Detroit riot and the 1967 Newark riots. These riots resulted in the deaths of dozens of people, injured hundreds, and caused widespread property damage, prompting President Lyndon B. Johnson to establish the commission to investigate the causes of the civil disorders and provide recommendations for preventing future occurrences. The commission's work was influenced by the Civil Rights Movement, which was led by figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Malcolm X, and was also shaped by the Great Society programs initiated by President Lyndon B. Johnson, including the War on Poverty and the Model Cities Program. The commission consulted with experts from a range of fields, including Psychology, Sociology, and Economics, and drew on the work of researchers like Gunnar Myrdal and Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

● Findings and Recommendations

The Kerner Commission's report, which was released on February 29, 1968, identified racism and poverty as the primary causes of the civil disorders, and recommended a range of policies to address these underlying issues, including the creation of affirmative action programs and the expansion of social welfare programs. The commission also recommended the establishment of community relations programs to improve race relations and reduce tensions between law enforcement and minority communities, and called for increased funding for education and job training programs. The commission's findings and recommendations were influenced by the work of Economists like John Kenneth Galbraith and James Tobin, and were shaped by the Great Society programs initiated by President Lyndon B. Johnson, including the War on Poverty and the Model Cities Program. The commission's report was presented to Congress and the American public, and was widely discussed in the media, including in publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post.

● Impact and Legacy

The Kerner Commission's report had a significant impact on the United States, highlighting the need for social reform and economic development in urban areas, and influencing the development of policies aimed at addressing poverty and racism. The commission's recommendations were implemented in part by the Nixon administration, which established the Office of Minority Business Enterprise and increased funding for urban development programs, and were also influential in shaping the urban policy agenda of subsequent presidential administrations, including those of President Jimmy Carter and President Bill Clinton. The commission's work was also recognized internationally, with the United Nations and the European Union drawing on the commission's findings and recommendations in their own efforts to address social inequality and urban poverty, and was influenced by the work of International organizations like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

● Members and Staff

The Kerner Commission included a diverse range of members, including Otto Kerner Jr., John Lindsay, William McCulloch, and Roy Wilkins, as well as staff members like David Ginsburg and Victor Palmieri. The commission also consulted with a wide range of experts, including Martin Luther King Jr., Stokely Carmichael, and Kenneth Clark, and drew on the work of researchers like Gunnar Myrdal and Daniel Patrick Moynihan. The commission's members and staff were influenced by the Civil Rights Movement, which was led by figures such as Rosa Parks and Malcolm X, and were also shaped by the Great Society programs initiated by President Lyndon B. Johnson, including the War on Poverty and the Model Cities Program.

● Report and Aftermath

The Kerner Commission's report was released on February 29, 1968, and was widely discussed in the media, including in publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post. The report's findings and recommendations were influential in shaping the urban policy agenda of subsequent presidential administrations, including those of President Richard Nixon, President Jimmy Carter, and President Bill Clinton, and were also recognized internationally, with the United Nations and the European Union drawing on the commission's findings and recommendations in their own efforts to address social inequality and urban poverty. The commission's work was also influenced by the 1968 Democratic National Convention and the 1968 Republican National Convention, and was shaped by the social unrest of the late 1960s, including the 1968 Washington, D.C. riots and the 1969 Stonewall riots. The report's legacy continues to be felt today, with many of its recommendations remaining relevant to contemporary debates about urban policy and social justice, and its influence can be seen in the work of organizations like the National Urban League and the NAACP.