THE WATTS RIOTS OF 1965 AND CIVIL RIGHTS

THE WATTS RIOTS OF 1965 AND CIVIL RIGHTS

Michael Pollard

HIST 365 4525

Date

The Watts riot refers to the confrontations that took place between Los Angeles police and the Watts residents. The confrontations took place on August 11, 1965, lasting for six days. The riots were necessitated by the arrest of Marquette Frye, an African-American man by a white California patrol officer. There were claims that police used excessive force during the arrest of this man, which angered the residents, prompting them to riot. However, the police department clarified that the man resisted arrest, which prompted the police to use force during the arrest. The rioters put up massive fires burning buildings and city blocks. The property was destroyed by fire because the police were unable to protect the firefighters from the rioters. Based on the incidences that took place, the paper argues that the riots helped mold civil rights activists’ actions and protests across the United States. It holds a similarity to the struggles that the United States has with civil rights today.

Civil rights must be given and guaranteed by the power of the state. Civil rights activists’ actions focus on ensuring an equal democratic society for all regardless of gender, race, or status. The Watts riots of 1965 were the basis of civil rights activists’ actions in the United States, basing the argument on unprocedural arrests. One of the civil rights provisions in a democratic country is protecting all citizens against forced arrests by police. The rioters claimed that the police arrested Marquette forcefully, which was against the provision of civil rights.

The Watts rioters were championing for the provision of equal social opportunities. Being considered a place for the black people, Watts was neglected by the administration by failing to provide social amenities and opportunities like schools and employment. Most people in the neighborhood were looking for a chance to protest against the area’s low living standards. With the Arrest of Marquette, people got a chance to riot and demand their rights from the government.

The civil rights movement in the United States has its roots in ending discrimination against African-Americans. One form of discrimination based on race was the lack of opportunities for Africans living in the United States. Watts riots illustrate a case whereby people are trying to demand their rights as citizens of the United States. Watts region was impoverished for the fact that it was mainly for the black people. The people in the region had attempted to lead better lives as their white counterparts, but the government did not provide an enabling environment. As a result, this called for civil rights activists’ actions to bring to end racial discrimination.

Two years before the Watts riots, 65 black residents were shot by police, 27 of whom were unarmed. However, as these arrests and killings of black people were ongoing, demonstrations were ongoing in the region. The protests were the resident’s cry of the poor living conditions in the area. The problems that led to the demonstrations in Watts were not only racial but also environmental. Living standards in the Northern ad western Ghettos were wanting. King pointed out that inadequate housing and general despair of the many Negroes living in this part of the United States was to blame for the riots that took place in 1965. Additionally, King stated that the violence only marked the start of a long civil rights actions, calling for equality between whites and the blacks.

Governments have the responsibility of creating favorable working conditions for citizens. Most civil rights activists’ actions in the United States were supported by the fact that people, especially African-Americans, were living in poverty. For example, the rate of Negro unemployment in 1965 had gotten to greater highs. People were depressed in these slums as they could not afford the basics of life. On the other hand, although they were living in the same society, their white counterparts were employment and living good lives as necessitated by the government.

Looting was evident during the Watts riots. Despite the different challenges in life, people look for different means to afford a living. Watts residents, for the fact that the government impoverished them, they were looking for a way through which they could earn a living. The only way these people could get a living is to loot others’ properties as witnessed during the riots. The level of rivalry depicted between the whites and the blacks during this riot was high. For example, white people were beaten up and shot by the blacks, a factor that forced the California lieutenant governor to call the National guard. The aim was to have black police officers deployed in the region as it was considered that they will be the ones to end the violence. Eventually, a curfew was imposed in this city as the only mechanism by the government to bring to an end the riots.

Civil rights actions in the United States have been aimed at ending racial discrimination. Civil rights actions in the United States dated back to 1955 during the incidences like the arrest of Rosa Parks, an African-American woman who refused to vacate her seat in a bus for a white passenger. Activists like Martin Luther King staged discussions on how to compel the government into respecting their rights. In turn, this led to the formation of associations like the Montgomery Improvement Association. The Watts riot is considered a milestone in the establishment of civil rights movements and actions in the United States as can be seen through the actions undertaken by the activists led by the Roman Catholic. These activists were inspired by the events that were taking place in the U.S whereby African-Americans had begun to champion their rights in the community.

Watts riots marked the beginning of a series of civil rights actions in the United States calling for an inclusive society. After the Watts riot that led to the death of 34 people and destruction of property, African-Americans, supported by civil rights activists began a series of demonstrations and riots calling for equal rights in society. One such event was that that took place in Garfield Park neighborhood of Dessie May Williams. The Watts riots served as an eye-opener to the black people and activists who realized they will not get an equal inclusion in American society if they never stood up and fought for their civic rights.

An indication of the many issues of racism that remained unresolved in the United States of America as evidenced by a series of riots that followed the Watts riots of 1965. Incidences of firebombing, riots, and killings were witnessed in 1966 in the same city illustrating that although the black people had come out to fight for their civic rights, a lot remained undone and it was still a long journey for the blacks before they attained an inclusion in the American society. Therefore, this understanding served as an encouragement to the black people that they must get out and fight for their rights. For example, the Detroit riots that started in 1967 led to the death of 43 people with the 1992 Los Angeles riots leading to the death of 63 people. All these riots were taking place in line with the planned civic actions, some of which were led by activist Martin Luther King.

Residential segregation prevented minorities from renting housing in specific places. The minorities in this case were black Americans who were considered less human beings and that they could not live in the same neighborhood as their white counterparts. Although the civil rights Act was passed in 1964, some of these practices were never abandoned in the United States as the law enforcers and government wanted to continue treating the blacks as slaves. Cities like Los Angeles and California were geographically divided by ethnicity. However, although it would have been good living in a specific geographic location as only Africans, the challenge was that the places that were set aside for Africans were never supported economically by the government. Supported by their activists, the black minorities would destroy properties owned by the Whites, the intention being to notify the whites that they too deserve a better life.

The Watts riot was an evidence of the rebellion of the Negroes against their masochism. The Watts residents had for a long time submitted quietly to the deprivation of slum lives. However, with the difficulties they were facing in these slums, they had to take a risk and let their voices heard by the government and the people in power. Initially, allegations had it that the riots were the acts of criminals living in Watts, a claim that was refuted by most of the people who took part in the riots. The majority of the people who were arrested did not have any criminal record. As evidenced by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when interviewed on the causes of the Watts riots, he claimed that then people wanted an equal life especially after the reinstatement of the Rumford Fair Housing Act in the Reitman v. Mulkey case. According to Luther King Jr. instead of the U.S supreme court overturning this ruling, it afformed it in 1967arguing that the amendment of the laws was against the constitution of the United States. Therefore, this meant that despite the Civil Rights Act being passed in 1964, Africans would still be segregated and live in specially allocated places. Therefore, as was revealed by Martin Luther King, what happened in Watts was just the beginning of the more protests and civil rights actions for an equal society.

All the riots proceeding the Watts riots were a result of either unemployment, poor schools, and the various inferior living conditions that were endured by Africans in their segregated habitats. Civil rights encompass issues that are critical for the living of human beings. However, these essential commodities were provided selectively in the United States, with the African being given the low-quality services. An example of this is education under the Jim Crow laws where Children belonging to Africans were allocated poor schools in their suburbs. Due to the low-quality education which was allocated for the black children, their chances of getting good employment after graduating were limited. In turn, Martin Luther King argued that if Africans would not leave their comfort zones to fight for equality and other civil rights within the community, they would forever live in poverty and the allocated slums. Thus, based on the events during the Watts riots, Africans were in a war to change the perspective of the community and their livelihoods.

The McCone Commission under governor Pat Brown was tasked at investing the rampant riots and the results were in support of Martin Luther King’s assertions. According to the report released by this commission, the root cause of the high rate of riots was the challenges that were facing Africans, most of which were not being faced by the Whites. In the report, unemployment, poor living standards, and the poor system of education for the Africans made them furious by the regime, and decided to speak out for their civil rights. The report went ahead to detail the actions that should be taken by the government to end the unrest in the country. First, the government was advised to come up with emergency literacy and preschool programs. The government had to further invest in low-income housing to upgrade the living standards of the African people. Moreover, to enhance the livelihoods of these people, it was the responsibility of the government to come up with more job-training projects which would enhance the skills of African-American people.

Finally, the most recent civil rights activity that is linked to the Watts riots is the “Black lives matter” movement. Civil rights activists in the United States have been fighting for the end of racial discrimination. The recent killing of George Floyd is an evidence of the continued racial discrimination in the country, an issue that is still calling upon civil rights activists to speak out for the respect of democracy and the rule of law.

In summary, the Watts riots molded many African-American people into civil rights activists. It was after this riot that black people realized that if they do not fight for an equal and just society, they will remain impoverished and segregated. Their children would receive low-quality education as stipulated by the Jim Crow laws; thus, they would always get poor employment opportunities. Therefore, the Watts riots impacted civil rights movements and activists in the United States, an agenda that is still felt even in modern-day America.

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