The 1968 Kansas City riot occurred in Kansas City,

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

, in April 1968. Kansas City became one of 37 cities in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

to be the subject of

rioting A riot is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The property targeted ...

after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The rioting in Kansas City did not erupt on April 4, like other cities of the United States affected directly by the assassination, but rather on April 9 after local events within the city.

History

The first sign of disorder in the streets of Kansas City was a relatively stable student march, in response to the government failing to close schools across the city that day for the funeral of

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

This was seen as a lack of respect for King by the students.

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

Ilus W. Davis decided to go to the marchers, meeting with them at Parade Park. After Davis joined several leaders from the Black community in talking with the marchers, he then joined the others to lead the march the remaining distance to City Hall. The crowd grew in size, slowly becoming more militant, more so when they arrived at City Hall to find a large contingent of

Kansas City Police Department The Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) is the principal law enforcement agency serving Kansas City, Missouri. Jackson County 16th Circuit Court Circuit Court Judge Jen Phillips swore in Stacey Graves as the 46th chief of police of the KCPD on ...

officers. As tensions rose, with verbal and physical actions escalating on both sides, a volley of tear gas by the KCPD into the crowd would be the final moment when the full riot was unavoidable. The students dispersed, but word of this spread through the city, and a riot erupted. The riot resulted in nearly 300 arrests, six deaths, and at least twenty hospital admissions.

History

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Further reading