Black residents of Minneapolis angered over an incident of police brutality fought with officers in the streets and set buildings ablaze.
It took place in one of the “long, hot summers” of the 1960s, when Black Americans in cities across the country protested and rioted over police abuse and segregation.
While our history books remind us of famous riots in major cities like Los Angeles, Newark and Detroit, what took place in Minneapolis – where the Black population back then was just 8% – is often forgotten.
One result of the tumult was Black cultural centers began to spring up across the country, including in Minneapolis, where city officials helped establish The Way in the north of the city.
And so, by ignoring the voices of the Black community and their calls for change and accountability – and instead doubling down on the kind of policies that caused the problems – the city of Minneapolis squandered an opportunity to improve relations between Black citizens and the police.
