The Newark riots of 1967 were very extreme and terrible time in Newark, New Jersey, one of the worst in U.S. history. The riots were between African-Americans and white residents, police officers and the National Guard. The riots were not unexpected. The tension between the city grew tremendously during the 1960's, due to lack of employment for Blacks, inadequate housing, police brutality and political exclusion of blacks from government.

In 1967, Newark's police force was 1500 members strong with only 10% being Black. Police would stop and question African- Americans for no reason other than racial profiling. The number of incidents of Police brutality and Blacks dying in Police custody had risen tremendously. For instance, in the summer of 1965, 22 year old, Lester Long (shot after traffic stop), 26 year old Bernard Rich (died in prison cell, under unexplained circumstances). Later that year, 17 year old, Walter Rich ("accidentally shot" while being searched for...