Waukegan riot of 1966 facts for kids

Waukegan riot of 1966 was a period of conflict between police and some residents of the town's predominantly African-American and Puerto Rican neighborhoods on the south side that occurred in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement.

The march coincided with a push toward desegregation at Whittier Elementary School. Almost entirely African-American, Whittier's enrollment stood in contrast to Waukegan's four other elementary schools, two of which were all white and two of which were 99% white. As of early September, the Whittier community protested this segregation by boycotting, with less than a quarter of students showing up for class.

Background

On Friday, August 26, an African-American police officer named Ernest Jones attempted to arrest Roosevelt Saunders, an African-American man. A fight ensued, and Saunders escaped into a crowd, and several days of rioting followed. The fact that the catalyzing encounter involved two African-Americans prompted some to suggest that the unrest was not about race, but the event highlighted a deep sense of disempowerment among the African-American community.

By August 28, 200 police were called to a 2 square mile area bounded by the streets of Genesee, 10th, McAllister, and South Avenue. As a mostly young crowd battled with police, a Puerto Rican family of six got caught in the crossfire, their car being hit by a Molotov cocktail while returning from church. The Waukegan branch of the NAACP later raised money for these victims.

By the night of 29 August, police with riot helmets and shotguns had established a curfew beginning at 7:30 pm for the region enclosed by Belvidere Street, McAlister Street, South Avenue, and Lake Michigan. Over 100 African-Americans were arrested over the course of the weekend.