Chicago Riots

When: April 1968

Where: Chicago

Catalyst: The nation mourned on April 4, 1968, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated while standing on the balcony of his Memphis, Tenn., motel. He had arrived in the city the previous day to support sanitation workers who were on strike. On that fateful evening, he stepped onto his balcony to speak with SNCC leaders who were standing downstairs in the parking lot. An assassin fired a single shot, leaving him with fatal wounds to his face.

What Happened: After words of Dr. King’s death spread, riots, mobs and protests broke out in Chicago. Thousands looted stores, and many burned down shops along the way, targeting White-owned businesses. Though the riots were mostly contained in Black neighborhoods, the riots prompted fear in the White community and drove an even larger stake between the two races. On that night, 500 people were injured, and nine Black people were killed.