Reexamining 'The Riot Report'

Published May 20, 2024 at 4:00 AM EDT

firefighters in the foreground of a burning building in a black and white photo — In this July 25, 1967 photo, firefighters try to control blazing buildings after riots in Detroit. Hundreds of fires were reported in the city. Five days of violence would leave 33 Black people and 10 white people dead, and more than 1,400 buildings burned. More than 7,000 people were arrested.

During the summer of 1967, outrage over racial injustice in the United States boiled over. Dozens of cities across the country — including Cincinnati — exploded into violent upheaval.

President Lyndon B. Johnson created The National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders in response. The group became known as the Kerner Commission, a reference to its chairman, Otto Kerner, who was governor of Illinois at the time.

A new documentary called "The Riot Report" explores that long, hot summer of 1967 and the creation and work of the Kerner Commission.

The film premieres Tuesday, May 21, on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS app.

On Cincinnati Edition, we discuss the work of the commission, whether the recommendations were adopted, and the legacy of the so-called “Riot Report.”

Guest:

Jelani Cobb, Ph.D., dean, Columbia Journalism School, co-writer and co-producer of The Riot Report

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