Why These Race Riots? Examining a long history of race-based violence

By Charlene Hay

Race riots are not a new phenomenon. They have occurred numerous times throughout our history.

In the United States, race riots occurred in 1897, at sugar plantations in Louisiana; 1891, Omaha, Nebraska; 1906, Little Rock, Arkansas; and 1917, East St Louis. The Chicago, 1919 were the worst of 25 race riots across the US that summer. More riots took place in Tulsa, Alabama, 1921; 1935 in Harlem; 1943: Detroit, Harlem and Los Angeles. The Selma, Alabama riots of 1965 were led by Martin Luther King when peaceful protest failed, after King’s assassination, rioting took place in 125 cities in the US. Watts and Los Angeles saw riots in 1965; Gordon Lightfoot’s Black Day in July was written about Watts. Take a listen to it – it’s a dark and gloomy but poignant piece. In 1992, Los Angeles, race riots erupted after police were acquitted of physically assaulting Rodney King. And in more 2009, Oakland, California. And there have been more.

We have had our very own riots in Canada.  Toronto, 1933 – Christie Pits Race Riot; Vancouver, 1907, anti-Asian riot; and in 1992, the Rodney King riots spread to our own country, to Toronto, Yonge Street.

Britain has also had a long history of race riots. 1919, South Shields; 1919, Cardiff; 1919, Liverpool; 1919, London; 1948; 1958, Nottingham; 1958 and 1967), London; 1979, Notting Hill (No, not the place where Hugh Grant fell in love with Julia Roberts!); 1979, London; 1980, Bristol, 1980; five race riots in 1981 in Brixton, Toxteth, Birmingham, Leeds, and Manchester; and in 1985, three in London, one in Leeds, and one in Manchester. Then various riots about every 2 years from 1985 – 2001. Then Birmingham again in 2005.

During the 1980‘s, riots in Britain produced a similar government retort to the one we are hearing now. “Riots reflect a society run on green and looting.” David Cameron, Prime Minister of Britain said last week that the most recent riots had “no cause beyond feral wickedness… criminality, pure and simple,” (from the Guardian). Interestingly, even as the government of the time was criticizing (in public) the moral fortitude of the rioters, behind closed doors, David Heseltine was launching a private members bill in parliament appealing for urgent action needed to deal with urban deprivation. He said that “it took a riot” to make them see the need.

Let’s take a look at the bigger picture. What has caused racialized people to erupt in violence so very frequently over history? Regarding the recent riots in Tottenham, where many racialized people abide, austere moves by a government bent on recession-style budget cuts resulted in a dramatic reduction of the  education maintenance allowance.  This allowance was given to the few racialized people who strove for and were admitted to university, despite having to overcome many barriers.  Those who managed to get their tuition together were met with a tripling in that cost. And, in this very impoverished area, the few venues for positive recreation were closed down.  Pitts, a criminologist quoted in the Guardian responded that most participating youth “do not have much of a legitimate future” and really “have nothing to lose”. When hope is taken away, hopelessness and anger take over, and we see mass violence.  And as you can see from the examples listed above, it happens often.

There is so much we can do to create equitable opportunities in our society. Let it not “take a riot” for us to see the tremendous possibilities we have.

Charlene Hay is the Executive Director of the Centre for Race and Culture. The views presented above do not necessarily reflect those of the Centre for Race and Culture.

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