4 – The Death of King Led to Further Violence
The aftermath of King’s death led to the greatest level of civil disturbance since the Civil War. As King was also a major believer in non-violent protest, his murder led to serious anger and disillusionment. After all, if a proponent of peaceful protest, who always tried to do things the right way, was killed, what was the point of remaining passive? The riots began as hundreds of thousands of people across the United States began to believe that the only way to defeat white racism was through violence.
The riots took place all over the country, and the violence was worst in Washington D.C, Chicago, Baltimore, Kansas City, and Detroit. In all, there was civil unrest in over 100 cities. In Washington D.C, the riots began shortly after King’s death was confirmed. The city’s African-American community had prospered in the 1960s as the expanding federal government offered more job opportunities. Initially, a crowd of protestors, led by Stokely Carmichael and the SNCC, asked stores in the neighborhood to close out of respect.
The angry mob soon descended into violence however, and there was looting in the city before midnight on April 4. The city’s police force of around 3,000 officers was overwhelmed by a crowd of over 20,000 rioters. President Johnson had to send 13,600 federal troops to the city to calm thing down. The riots lasted in the city until April 8, and by that time, an estimated 1,200 buildings had been destroyed with property damage estimated at over $27 million.
It was a similar scene in Chicago as men and women broke store windows and helped themselves to clothes, food, TV sets, and liquor. Buildings were set on fire, and as was the case in Washington D.C, the president had to send federal troops into Chicago to assist the police. Later, Richard J. Daley, the mayor of Chicago, claimed that he ordered the police to shoot anyone who had a Molotov cocktail in their hand. At least nine people died in the Chicago riots, and over 350 people were arrested for looting.
Nationwide, the riots lasted until May, and when the dust had settled, at least 45 people lay dead, 2,500 were injured, and an estimated 15,000 were arrested. Property damage was in the hundreds of millions, and racial tensions were incredibly high. President Johnson reacted by urging the House of Representatives to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1968, complete with the Fair Housing Act. The death of King radicalized thousands of people and helped the Black Power movement to grow. Meanwhile, James Earl Ray was still at large.