Cooper Do-nuts Riot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cooper Do-nuts Riot |
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| Part of events leading to the fight for equal rights |
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A Cooper Do-nuts location in 1961
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| Date | May 1959 | ||
| Location |
Cooper Do-nuts, Los Angeles, USA
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| Goals | Equal rights and fair treatment for all | ||
| Parties to the civil conflict | |||
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The Cooper Do-nuts Uprising was a small event that happened because of unfair treatment by the police. It took place at the Cooper Do-nuts cafe in Los Angeles in May 1959. This cafe was open 24 hours a day.
This event happened 10 years before the more famous Stonewall riots in New York City. Some historians believe it was the first modern uprising in the United States where people stood up for their rights.
What Happened at Cooper Do-nuts?
In 1959, police in Los Angeles often treated certain groups of people unfairly. This included people who were different or didn't fit in with what was considered "normal" at the time. The Cooper Do-nuts cafe was a place where many of these people felt safe.
One night in May 1959, police came into the cafe. They started arresting people without good reason. This made the customers very upset. They began to fight back against the police.
The customers threw donuts and coffee cups at the officers. They also chased the police out of the cafe. This small act of defiance showed that people were tired of being treated badly.
Why Was This Event Important?
The Cooper Do-nuts uprising is often called the first time people stood up for their rights in this way in the United States. Some historians say it was the first protest specifically against unfair police treatment.
However, some historians disagree. They say that anyone who was open about being different back then was already being brave. They were already risking difficulties just by being themselves.
Mark Thompson, a historian, shared his thoughts. He said it was "more like an isolated patch of local social unrest." He believes it had lasting effects, especially as a lesson for us today.
Cooper Do-nuts Today
In 2020, the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council thought about making Cooper Do-nuts a historical site. They asked the Los Angeles Police Department for records about the event.
The police department said they had no records from that time. They explained that the records were either "purged or destroyed." This means they were removed or gotten rid of.
Even without official records, the story of the Cooper Do-nuts uprising lives on. Nancy Valverde, who was there at the time, said she heard about it right away from a friend. This shows how important the event was to the community.
