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Watts riots
1965 – 1965
The Watts riots, sometimes referred to as the Watts Rebellion or Watts Uprising, took place in the Watts neighborhood and its surrounding areas of Los Angeles from August 11 to 16, 1965. The riots were motivated by anger at the racist and abusive practices of the Los Angeles Police Department, as well as grievances over employment discrimination, residential segregation, and poverty in L.A.
On August 11, 1965, Marquette Frye, a 21-year-old black man, was pulled over for drunk driving. After he failed a field sobriety test, officers attempted to arrest him.
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From the article’s “People involved in the sparking incident” list
On February 18, 1966, he received a sentence of 90 days in the county jail and three years probation.
From the article’s “People involved in the sparking incident” list
He received another 90-day jail term after a jury convicted him of battery and disturbing the peace on May 18, 1966.
Those actively participating in the riots started physical fights with police and blocked Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) firefighters from using fire hoses on protesters and burning buildings.
In "Black on White on Fire", an episode of the television series Quantum Leap which aired November 9, 1990, Sam Beckett shifts into the body of a black medical student who is engaged to a white woman while living in Watts during the riots.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Los Angeles was geographically divided by ethnicity, as demographics were being altered by the rapid migration from the Philippines (unincorporated territory of the U.S. at the time) and immigration from Mexico, Japan, Korea, and Southern and Eastern Europe.
As a result, housing in South Los Angeles became increasingly scarce, overwhelming the already established communities and providing opportunities for real estate developers.
Source: Wikipedia / Wikidata
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