The Kerner Commission
Between 1964 and 1967, rioting was an issue in major cities across the United States. In order to find out the cause of these riots, President Lyndon B. Johnson created a group called the National Adisory Commission. This 11 member commission was formed in July of 1967, and was nicknamed the Kerner Commission. It was nicknamed after the name of the report made by the group, the Kerner Report. In the report, recommendations were made on how to prevent more riots from occurring.
In the report, the commission blamed the riots mostly on the white society. They mentioned how the society had promoted the isolation and neglect of African Americans. It is even said that the U.S. was "moving toward two societies, one black, one white--seperate and unequal." The two major recommendations provided were enriching slums and promoting racial integration. Despite this report, hundreds of riots broke out in many major cities after the assassination of Martin Luther Kig Jr.
The Kerner Commission was important because it shed light on the real reasons behind the issues occurring throughout the U.S. Although the commission ended up being unseuccessful, it was still able to help the government realize what it needed to work on in order to quell racial tension. This commission showed the country that the president cared about the Civil Rights Movement and ensurring equality amongst everyone, no matter the race, gender, etc.
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6553/
Questions:
1. Why was the Kerner Commission created?
The Kerner Commission was created to explain the riots occurring in the U.S. between 1964-1967.
2. What affect did the commission's report have on the country?
The commissions report did not have any affect on the country. In fact, not too long after, over 100 riots occurred because of the death of Martin Luther King Jr.
In the report, the commission blamed the riots mostly on the white society. They mentioned how the society had promoted the isolation and neglect of African Americans. It is even said that the U.S. was "moving toward two societies, one black, one white--seperate and unequal." The two major recommendations provided were enriching slums and promoting racial integration. Despite this report, hundreds of riots broke out in many major cities after the assassination of Martin Luther Kig Jr.
The Kerner Commission was important because it shed light on the real reasons behind the issues occurring throughout the U.S. Although the commission ended up being unseuccessful, it was still able to help the government realize what it needed to work on in order to quell racial tension. This commission showed the country that the president cared about the Civil Rights Movement and ensurring equality amongst everyone, no matter the race, gender, etc.
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6553/
Questions:
1. Why was the Kerner Commission created?
The Kerner Commission was created to explain the riots occurring in the U.S. between 1964-1967.
2. What affect did the commission's report have on the country?
The commissions report did not have any affect on the country. In fact, not too long after, over 100 riots occurred because of the death of Martin Luther King Jr.