Cast mo marked the
2S DDiversuy of the Watts
ebellioD. A people
reminisce on the events of tbe
" rebellion. tbe question rise
bet r it i:a ppen in.
Some of tne me condi­
tion e ve ri e to the
rebellion in 1965 are alive
today. d even orse itb the
courge of drugs and gang
violence.
Tbe rebellion was born out
'of a e e of bopele ness and
fueled by r ci m, 'police
brutali ty, and a general ab­
sence of opportunity.
T e Black undercla s
erupted in an explosion of
rebellion against the condi­
tion wbich kept them in this
state of qualor.
THE SPA HIeB et
off the rebellion wa a drunk
dri ing incident, here two
hi te pollee officers, bo
ere about to arre t t 0 Black
men for drunk driving; man-
h ndled a pregnant mother
a
•
v.e
bo tbey accused of interfer­
ing in police busine ,but she
wa only rebuking her t 0
Ion for thei r reckless be­
havior.
By tanders became angry
and attacked tbe police of­
ficers, thus setu ng off the
r_ebellion.
att residents burned
down hite-o ned busi­
DC es, and toned hites they
came across. The rebellion
expanded with looting, and
.increa ed niping at police
and national guardsmen, in
response to their brutal
methods. of uppressing the
rebellion.
. The battle cry of the rebel­
lion was "Burn baby burn,"
after a popular song then in
vogue.
The rebe II io n tarted
August 11 tb and la ted until
the 16tb. California Governor
Edmund Brown sent in 15.000
National Guardsmen to quell
the di turbancc.
MORE THAN 32 people'
bad died, 1,032 were injured,
about 3000· arrested, 600
ay
buildinl destroyed or
burned, and property damage
estimated at $200 miJlion.
The upri in marked an end
to tbe non-violent protest er ••
'city after city em up' in
fl mes tbe folio ing sum­
mers, because of imilar con­
ditio for BI c living in
urban geuo .
The eod of the Watts Rebel­
lion h d b ilies, community
leaders, and public official
scrambling to find answe to
EPT
ER 2-1,1
HIGAN CmZE PAG 13
�lIio
tio ,and musical fe tivitie .
memorial to rebellion
vi tim called the Joe Nelon
Br dget Aw rd for Valor was
a rded to Oliver Beasley,
po tbumously. The award is
na ed for a 22-year-old W tts
resident, while the recipient
wa a 27-year-Old member of
tb Nation of lsI m. Botb
we slain by L.A. Sheriff's
de utie
'he Los Allgeles Selltmel
a source for this story
Commemoratio
ome probable
N PAN
Bethune Museum-Archiw:a,
Inc., aD institution . cb preser­
YeS the memory of Mary Mc­
Leod Bethune, her life and
achieYeIDe and docUlDCllts
the . ory d CODtri 0
African American omen,·
now at the threshold of an excit-
iaicbaoge·
ew Guide Highlights Philadelphia's
African-American History and Culture
Philadelphia' rich African­
American heritage i outlined in a
new 23 page color brochure. It's
distributed by the Phil delphia
Conventio and Visitor. Bureau,
part of it ongoing campaign to
attract the African-American
touri t d convention market.
The illu trated guide list
hi torical ite I and cultural
attractions B c art galleries,
boo tores, jazz clubs, re urants,
churc and nnual event.
More than a location guide, the
brochure i a' lesson in
Philadelphi '5 African-American
history. The city' 5 role in the
truggle fo human and civil righ
is in itutionalized in hi toric ites
uch Mother Bethel African
Methodi t Bpiscopal Church, said
to be the oldest· property
continually 0 ned by African
Americans. 0 her Bethel ho ted
the fir b c national convention
in Phi delphia in 1817 where the
convener renounced colonization,
ch to remain in America and
continu th fight for freedom.
Phil delphia's black cultural
heritage thrive at pi ce li e
Freedom Theater, on of the top
ten b c theate in the nation;
and t the i ternationally
- � aimed Phi lphia Dance
pany (Phi danco]. la�e
night j clu n nd in
the city' u ur keep b c
mu ical tradition movi fo d
. a bOth eel and emerging
arti re their repertoire.
Reference sources are listed in
the c of the . de for tho
wi hin to learn more about
Phi Ip·'5 African-American
. roots. And a convenient South-
ern Penna. ·t Authority
kind in Philadelphia and it w .
funded by the Philadelphia
. Convention and V· uor Bureau.
1b receive a copy of the guide 01"
for more information on
Philadelp ., African-American
hi tori cal lite and cultural
a . , write Philadelphia
Convention and V' ·tors Bureau at
1515 ket Street, Philadelphia,
PA 19102 or call 0 toll free
number - 1-8O()..321-WKND.
ori
tr . (Boston, M . ch ).
Dr. Martin Iluther King.
Jr. enter, N ational Hi orie
Site (Atlanta, Georgia)
The Maggie Lena Walker
(Richmond, Virginia)
The Frederick Do
Ho e (Washington, D.C.)
Units of the National par
Sys em are included in th
re lar budget of the Depart
nie of the Interior and arc up
po ed and cared fo in per .
petuity by the Federal GOYem
hington Car­
nument (his
mond, Mis-