NoteCards

(3) The Chicago Race Riots occurred in July of 1966. Martin Luther King Jr. went to Chicago to campaign against housing segregation. The riots lasted for three days until 1,500 National Guards men and 1,000 police officers put a stop to it. Later in July some three hundred civil rights activist marched through Cicero street into a white neighborhood to protest the housing segregation. Unfortunately for them they were chased away by "mobs of angry whites". Dr. King ended his campaign after officials said they would end segregation.

(4) Dr.King was born in Atlanta, Georgia, into church-center family. His grandfather, father and brother were all pastors. King went to Booker T. Washington high school and then Moore House College where he received a sociology degree. In 1948 he went to Crozer Theological Seminary and earned a bachelor in divinity. After Crozer Dr. King went to Boston University where he met Coretta Scott (his future wife). King organized the Montgomery bus boycott and as a result bus segregation was unconstitutional. The Gandhi inspired Civil Rights activist engaged in getting federal action on civil rights. He met with the president to do so. His fight to end segregation in Birmingham led to him being sent to jail but after he got out things changed. King continued to organize protest walks, say speeches, peacefully fought against segregation until he was assassinated in 1968 by James Earl Ray.

(6) On a Friday in April of 1968 the Martin Luther King Jr. assassination riots began. Looting broke out on the city's West Side in the Lawndale and Austin areas and on the city's South Side in the Woodlawn area. White owned businesses were specifically attacked and vandalized. That Friday night Army units and Illinois National guards were sent in to control the streets. Rioters hit them with sniper guns but none were killed or heavily injured. During that Saturday soldiers calmed the rioters along the Eisenhower expressway with their machine guns. Sunday was continued to up hold violence but by Monday peace had returned. Mayor Daley ordered police "to shoot any arsonist or anyone with a Molotov cocktail in his hand...and...to shoot to maim or cripple anyone looting any stores in our city."  There is no official death toll but accounts say 9-11 people died. 350 people were arrested and 162 buildings were destroyed. The areas where the buildings were located became vacant lots.

(7) Illinois State rep. Art Turner gives reasons as to why the Lawndale area should have returned back to a prosperous area after the riots. He says: Chicago's downtown area is very close by, two interstates and three El lines are near and "Historic grey stone houses line the streets". In 1960, 124,937 people lived in North Lawndale. Now 41,768 people live in the area and more than 40% of the families are below the poverty line. There are new living spaces that are built but the poor area leaves them unsold. Businesses such as grocery stores could close soon because these anchor stores don't survive financially. This means the franchise can't expand. Since these areas are high-crimed and have police surveillance around the new businesses it discourages some residents. In the 1950's "Many white families moved away..." to the suburbs and North Side. The riots broke after King was assassinated and the area burned down in flames.

(8) Martin Luther King Jr. moved to Chicago in 1966 in a poverty-stricken neighborhood. His purpose was to draw attention to "the plight of disadvantaged African Americans." When he was assassinated rioters took to the streets and looted and burnt down buildings. 36 major fires were reported between 4p.m. and 10p.m. During this time more then 2,000 firefighters were out in the City on a 2-mile Madison Street stretch. Although there was a great number of fire fighters, rioters still held them from doing there job. They were met with bottles, rocks and sniper weapons. They were also met with the challenge of low levels of water because rioters would let off fire hydrants to lower the pressure. By Saturday 6,000 National Guard troops arrived to suppress the rioters. Then the next day 5,000 army units arrive in as well. The rioters were settled and as a result of this weekend one firefighter was wounded, 170  buildings were burned down and 1,000 people were left homeless.

(9) Over 100 cities were affected by the assassinations riots due to the effort of 100,000 black people. President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered 50,000 National Guardsmen to control and "squish" the violence. During the week of riots in the U.S. cities such as Washington D.C., Chicago, Philadelphia, and Cleveland issued curfews and had National Guardsmen arrest and shoot offenders. The chaos resulted in "...46 people dead, 4,000 injured, massive arrests and about $500 million dollars in damages." The F.B.I. was sent out to find the assassin of Dr. King. They found James Earl Ray who confessed to the murder and was sentenced to 99 years in jail. Negroes were also given the right to vote.

(10) After Dr. King died his organization called the SCLC put together King's funeral. Marches were held in multiple countries to honor King's legacy. Some schools and work places were closed so that people could participate in commemorative events. He was buried in Atlanta. The riots in Chicago took up 28 blocks on West Madison. Rioting also occured "...between Roosevelt Rd. on the south and Chicago Ave. A curfew for everyone under 21 was imposed,streets were closed, guns and ammunition were banned from being sold, and police officers were ordered to shoot to kill. Over 125 fires were created, eleven black people died, and 3,000 people were arrested. Some 1,00 people were left homeless due to the 210 buildings affected somehow. The south side of Chicago managed to stay away from the riots because gang leaders of the Blackstone Rangers and East Side Disciples worked together to use their influence and stop it from happening.