Newark+--+Detroit+riots

=Newark – Detroit Riots=

==Overview== = = The Newark and Detroit riots were day’s long, side wide riots that influence the American peoples view points of the segregation of blacks. Both cities were prosperous centers of industry with a high percentage of black residents. These two events took place at the height of the civil rights movement across the country to give blacks more freedoms. Leaving nearly 100 people dead, these events were recognized throughout the entire country.

Central Issue
The black people of the Newark community felt they didn’t have adequate representation and were suffering police brutality. Only 11% of the police force was black while nearly 50% of the population was also black. The riot started on July 12, 1967, when took a black cab driver into custody for illegally passing him on the road. A group of blacks saw him being dragged away and thought he had been killed by the police. This escalated into six days of rioting, looting, violence, and utter chaos in the city. The event left 26 people dead, 725 people injured, and close to 1,500 arrested. This event started the slow decline of the city, causing people and industry to find new homes. The Detroit riot of 1967 was much bigger and more costly. It began when a police officer raided an illegal bar, while arresting all 82 people inside. An angry crowd outside watching them be hauled away became angry and started to terrorize nearby shops and stores. Soon, full scale rioting began throughout the community. The riot lasted for four days and killed 43 people, 33 of whom were black, injured 467, and arrested 7,321. Damage was estimated around $40 to $80 million dollars.

==Conclusion / Historical Significance== Most of the riots during the civil rights movement were held in northern cities where the majority of the population was poor black people. Another major factor was that most of the police forces of these cities were majorly white, which caused some problems.