Violence in the City – An End or A Beginning?

Mapping the destruction of Los Angeles during the 1965 Watts Riots.

“Of what shall it avail our nation if we can place a man on the moon but cannot cure the sickness in our cities?” – pg. 9.

This small booklet outlines the findings of the Governor’s Commission on the Los Angeles Riots in August, 1965. It was printed by the Jeffries Banknote Company in December of that year, less than six months after the week-long riot took place. The contents are apparently well-intentioned, but certainly patronizing. Several comparisons are made to the local Mexican-American community, which faced similar social disadvantages and did not riot, and, overall, there is a tendency to lay all blame on the predominantly Black population of the Watts neighborhood. The police are largely absolved of any responsibility, though greater efforts at maintaining community relations are recommended.

The report includes a color map that outlines the area in South L.A. affected by the riots, mostly the Watts neighborhood. The locations of all thirty-four deaths are pinpointed (including three outside the area). Damaged, looted, and destroyed buildings are noted according to the legend in the lower left – nearly 1,000 in total, totaling almost $40 million in damages.

The 1965 Watts Riots erupted on August 11 in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles following the arrest of a young Black motorist, sparking tensions over longstanding issues of police brutality, racial discrimination, and economic inequality. Over six days, violent clashes between residents and police escalated into widespread looting, arson, and property destruction. The unrest resulted in 34 deaths, over 1,000 injuries, nearly 3,500 arrests, and the deployment of the National Guard to restore order.