"BURN BABY BURN!"

RIOTS BREAK OUT IN WATTS


Los Angeles, California (JFK+50) On August 11, 1965, at 7 p.m. (PDT) Marquette Frye* was stopped by California Highway Patrolman Lee Minikus for reckless driving in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles.  When Mr. Frye stumbled during a field sobriety test, he began to resist arrest.  By that time, more than 250 people were gathered around.


Soon Frye was arrested and a riot broke out among the crowd who took issue with the actions of police.  Rocks and other objects were thrown by the mob at the officers.  Rioting continued for the next four hours.


After 6 days of rioting, the casualties included 34 dead, more than a thousand wounded and over 3400 arrested.  4000 soldiers in the California National Guard were called in to restore order to the Watts community.  The damages were estimated to be $40 million.

A investigating commission looked into the Watts riots and determined the three main causes were high unemployment, poor schools and inferior living conditions.

*Maruqette Frye (1944-1986) was born in Oklahoma and grew up in Wyoming.  His family moved to L.A. in 1957.  MF dropped out of high school at age 16.  He died of pneumonia.

SOURCE

"Marquette Frye, 1944-1986," by Shaun Michael Mars, January 21, 2007, Black Past, www.blackpast.org/ 

       Police Make Arrest in Watts

                  August 12, 1965

   New York World-Telegram Photo

 

RIOTS IN WATTS

WATTS RIOTS PLUS FIFTY

Los Angeles, California (JFK+50) The Watts Riots broke out here in Los Angeles a half century ago this evening, August 11, 1965.  At seven o'clock local time, Marquette Frye*, an African-American, was stopped by Lee Minikus, a patrolman of the California Highway Patrol.

While Frye was given a sobriety test, his brother walked two blocks to his home and returned with the mother who scolded Marquette for driving while intoxicated.  A rumor spread that the mother had been assaulted by police and  
soon a riot broke out among about 200 people who had gathered on the scene.

Rocks and other objects were thrown by the mob at the officers.  Rioting continued for the next four hours.  The riots continued for six days with 34 dead, more than a thousand wounded and over 3400 arrested.

According to the New York Times, the community of Watts** has been transformed today and is in stark contrast to the troubled African-American community in Ferguson, Missouri.

Jennifer Medina writes..."There were fewer than a dozen homicides (in Watts) last year."  That was not the case in 1965 when there were hundreds.

The community is still poor, but African-Americans have moved to the LA suburbs and Watts is 70% Latino today.  The City Housing Authority has invested $10 million into special projects in the community and police officers sign on to a five-year patrol area.

*Marquette Frye (1944-1986) was born in Oklahoma & grew up in Wyoming. His family moved to LA in 1957.  Marquette, haunted by the riots & unable to get work, was arrested for a variety of crimes.  He died of pneumonia.

**Watts is a 2.12 square mile community located in South Los Angeles, CA.  It was named after the 1st railroad station built in 1904 on land donated by the Watts family.

The community became predominantly African-American during the 1940s with the influx of blacks from Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas & Texas seeking economic opportunity in California.

SOURCES

"Frye, Marquette (1944-1986)," www.blackpast.org/

"Watts, 50 years On, Stands in Contrast to Today's Conflicts," by Jennifer Medina, The New York Times, August 10, 2015, www.nytimes.com/

Watts Towers

Los Angeles, California

BenFrantzDate

www.en.wikipedia.com/