The Impact Of The Newark Riots

Introduction The civil rights movement in the mid-1900s was the fight to end racial segregation in the United States. This means equal or fair access and opportunities to have the quality of life guaranteed for all United States citizens. The long, hot summer of 1967 was “the high point in racial strife in postwar American cities”. Communities within cities across the country became restless with the lack of change necessary to better everyone. Newark was part of the 164 civil disobedience that occurred during the summer of 1967 after police arrested and abused an African-American cab driver named John Smith. The city of Newark is in northern New Jersey, just 10 miles west of New York City. Despite the city’s connotations, Newark is significant in United States history. Specifically, Newark faced the Newark Riots amid the civil rights movement and the long, hot summer of 1967. Through the five days of debris, ashes, and destruction, [see Appendix A] the Newark Riots had an impact. The Newark Riots further impacted Black power within the ongoing civil rights movement and the long, hot summer of 1967 because of its ability to shed light on racial and environmental differences to change the outlook

Analysis of the riots states that “the 'tokenistic' pattern of race relations in more moderate or racially liberalizing cities encourages [Black people to demand] equalities, lifts the fear of extreme force (policemen increasingly attack the civil libertarian and community-relations emphasis of liberal government on the grounds that 'law-enforcement is being handcuffed'), yet generally fails to work great immediate changes in the conditions of ghetto life”. In addition, people did not destroy everything in sight. The report state that “stores and pawnshops owned by those white capitalists who exploited [Black people] most ruthlessly have been reduced to ashes.” There were intentions beyond the