“Burn Baby Burn”
A Look At The History of the Watts Revolt
August 11-16, 1965

The thoughts expressed in the following editorial are those of Watts Summer Festival, Inc. It is a reflection of the philosophy and cultural ideology of the civil rights era from which the Watts Summer Festival grew as well as the eyewitness accounts of several members of our Board of Directors. For the purpose of understanding the revolt from a cultural context the reader must understand our definition of culture to be ‘ the totality of thought and practice by which a people creates itself, celebrates, sustains and develops itself and introduces itself to history and humanity. The seven aspects of culture are: history, religion/spirituality, creative production [art, music, literature, dance], ethos, social organization, economic organization and political organization.”       [Kawaida]

There is an African proverb that reminds us that until the lion writes his own story the hunter will remain the victor. We relate these words to the history that has been written regarding the revolt that occurred in Watts, California in August of 1965.

African Americans are often hesitant to talk about and share with its youth, many of the most significant events in our history that were born from a foundation of racism. Incidents such as the destruction of African American townships like Rosewood and Tulsa, Oklahoma, the institution of slavery and the Watts Revolt.  The results of withholding our collective experiences have been the erasing of our culture and value system, the re-shaping of our consciousness and the development of our self-hate as a race of people.

We seem to believe that if we have collective amnesia regarding these episodes we can erase them from our memories and avoid being judged negatively by others. As a result, the very people who have discriminated against us the most have rewritten the story and rich history of a proud and productive people.  Their versions have created the stereotype of African American people as lazy, ignorant and worthless, a race of people lacking a culture and virtually non-existent prior to slavery.

The forty-year anniversary of the Watts Revolt has prompted organizations from across the greater Los Angeles area to examine, reflect upon and dialogue and debate about the conditions that led to the Watts Revolt, the findings of the McCone Commission Report and whether the findings of the commission report were implemented and future plans for Watts.

Many people have borrowed the phrasing used to describe the birth of the Watts Summer Festival "out of the ashes of the Watts Revolt". taking the words for granted or using them as a political link to elicit emotion and financial support without fully understanding the history and meaning behind the words. As well, many people have painted a picture of the revolt as a negative event even labeling it as a "riot". And while we agree to define the actions of some as riotous behavior, we choose to understand the impetus for the event and the opportunity that the community seized to develop, rescue and reconstruct not onlly itself but the culture and value system of it's residents. We submit that the revolt was in fact an act of self-determination ultimately resulting in increased opportunities for many African American s nationwide.

Semantics are very powerful. Words and their context and how they are used to foster positive and negative images are an important part of the media strategy and that of mainstream America. It is therefore important that we define the terms riot, revolt, revolution and rebellion to have a clear understanding why what happened in the city of Watts is referred to as a revolt not a riot.

Riot: a tumultuous disturbance of the public peace by three or more persons assembled together

Rebellion: opposition to one in authority or dominance

Uprising: an effort at rebellion

            Revolt: an armed uprising that quickly succeeds or fails

Revolution: a successful rebellion resulting in a change of government and often of social structure

 The population of Watts in 1965 is reported as 650,000, 98% of which were African Americans. Watts was to Los Angeles what Harlem was to New York and what the Southside was to Chicago. It should be noted that there were a number of pre-existing conditions for African Americans living in southeast Los Angeles that set the stage for an eventual rebellion.

First, the racist practices of the Los Angeles Police Department under the leadership of Chief William Parker, The LAPD was allowed to if not expectecd to terrorize, the African American community by harassment, intimidation and general police brutality.

Secondly, housing discrimination that initially began with the covenant laws that restricted the opportunity to rent or purchase homes in areas of Los Angeles west of Main Street, north of Manchester, east of Alameda and south of El Segundo Blvd. forced a large section of the African American community to live within the boundaries of Watts. A population so large that five housing complexes were built.

Thirdly, economic conditions Although many of the people residing in the housing projects held higher degrees they were unable to find employment matching their educational potential forcing them to take jobs as janitors, factory workers and domestic help.

Lastly, economic exploitation by the predatory lending practices of storeowners who extended credit but at a higher rate of interest.

The evening of August 11, 1965 began as a typical hot summer evening in the quiet neighborhood of southeast Los Angeles known as the Blodgett Tract. Driven outside because of the heat, members of the community mingled about having no idea that they would soon be propelled into history, as participants in what the media would call, “the most significant riot of the civil rights era”. The fuse of rebellion is lit when a white Highway Patrol officer who is responding to a tip from a passing motorist of suspected drunk driving stops one of its community members, Marquette Frye.

While the officer interrogates Marquette, his brother goes up the block to get his mother so that she can drive the car home if necessary. By the time she arrives, the police have decided to arrest him for driving under the influence. His mother is not happy to find him in this situation and begins to admonish him.

Marquette reacts by refusing to be handcuffed. Meanwhile, the officer has called for backup and the crowd of observers have grown.

 A shoving match ensues between the police and Marquette, the police and Marquette’s Mother as well as the police and other family members. The police subsequently handcuff and place into the patrol car, both Marquette and his mother. The crowd watches as they are driven away and they are displeased. The conversation in the crowd grows louder as they reflect on the continuous police brutality as well as conditions in general.  Eventually they realize that they are simply fed-up with the unfair conditions of Police discrimination, housing discrimination, economic exploitation etc. Soon the crowd becomes united in their act of self-determination against a common enemy. The police are unsuccessful in their attempts to disburse the crowd and soon the first rock is thrown.  The people focus their energy and pent-up frustrations on the area with the highest concentration of commercial enterprise in the area which is the corridor located at Central and 103^rd street. Five days later the National Guard would be called in, a curfew area defined [Alameda to Crenshaw Blvd., 120th street to Pico Blvd], thirty-four lives lost, 1,100 people injured and an estimated $100 million in property damage. The media exploits the situation as a community gone wild. But in similar communities across the United States, it is recognized for what it was, an aspect of Black power - the raising of the consciousness of its people and the opportunity for a community to define and determine its own direction and redevelop itself.

In the months that followed, in an attempt to pacify the community, several commissions were set up. Their purpose was to study the conditions that led to the revolt. The major commission was The McCone Commission. Its findings were not surprising nor the ten year plan for significant change to be made within the African American community.The areas for change included [1] the need for a better rapport between the community and law enforcement agencies, [2] the need for improved educational opportunities, [3] the need for more health facilities to serve the needs of the community and [4] the need for better and reliable transportation. The promise of change however, seemed to be as Dr. Martin Luther King reflected,”a promissory note marked insufficient funds”. The residents of Watts eventually became disillusioned with the failure of the local government to implement fully and effectively the findings of the commission. In the years that followed Watts would see minimal progress reflected in the building of the Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital, affirmative action programs, and scholarship opportunities.

Now decades later, in spite of changes in the city’s demographics and dreams deferred by local government apathy, the name, Watts, continues to be recognized around the world for its legacy of unyielding sacrifice and struggle. And the spirit of the Watts Community stakeholders still stands resolved in an unyielding commitment that through hard work and long struggle they will one day bring into being a better quality of life for now and for future generations. Watts will rise at last like a phoenix, out of the ashes.