University Announces Unprecedented Look at '68 Baltimore Riots Sparked by King Assassination
December 14, 2006
Contact: University Relations
Phone: 410.837.5739
For two weeks in April 1968, beginning in the dark hours following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., the city of Baltimore was devastated by a series of civil disturbances that left six dead, dozens injured and hundreds of properties, both private and public, burned, shattered and in ruins. The events, which culminated in the deployment of thousands of armed National Guard troops across the city on the orders of President Lyndon Johnson, riveted the attention of the nation, which already was reeling from similar riots in other cities across the country.
In 2008, the 40th anniversary of King’s death, the University of Baltimore will offer a close-up examination of the riots—their causes and the short- and long-term consequences—in a series of public events called "Baltimore '68: Riots and Rebirth." The highlight of the events will be a conference exploring the effects of the riots and the many efforts at civic healing that followed. This national gathering of experts, including scholars across disciplines as varied as race relations, civic engagement and 20th-century history, will take place on campus in April 2008, 40 years to the date of King’s murder and the unrest that followed.
In addition, the University will sponsor and host a plethora of leading-edge academic activities related to these events and their aftermath, including a student-led oral history project, a computer simulation of areas impacted by the violence and a major call for papers. UB's Passager, a nationally renowned literary journal for older writers, will devote an entire issue to contributed writings about these history-making events, and a one-of-a-kind traveling exhibition will be organized jointly by the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture and the Jewish Museum of Maryland. The University will unveil a dedicated "Baltimore '68: Riots and Rebirth" Web site, and a series of roundtable discussions on a variety of related topics will unfold during the weeklong conference.
Jessica Elfenbein, director of the Community Studies and Civic Engagement program in UB's Yale Gordon College of Liberal Arts and the lead organizer of the events, said that the national and international recognition of King’s death presents a unique opportunity to examine an event that changed the city in ways that even now are clearly visible.
"Without a doubt, the 1968 riots were the most cataclysmic event in the history of modern Baltimore," Elfenbein said. "But for many reasons, most certainly because they denote such a terrible time for our city as well as for the rest of the country, these two weeks have, until now, been all but ignored by scholars and policymakers. Our program will present a first opportunity for the public to have a meaningful dialogue about what the disturbances did to the city, and how they informed issues as varied as school desegregation, neighborhood decay, bigotry and a host of other things that have been facts of life in Baltimore for a long time. We'll also look at what the riots inspired in the city in terms of healing, such as the City Fair, the change in political leadership and new commitments toward justice and equality. It's important to consider that the events, as destructive as they were, also sparked rejuvenation. But it was a terrible price to pay."
The historical record indicates that the riots laid waste to streets and neighborhoods on both the east and west sides of the city. Grocery stores and other businesses were burned and looted, and whole blocks were cordoned off by police and the military. Thousands were arrested, but relatively few were prosecuted and even fewer convicted.
Many merchants, some of whom rode out the events with guns in hand behind the locked doors of their stores, ended up closing their businesses and leaving town, disenchanted or financially ruined. Today, the city's relatively few grocery stores and large sections of economic debilitation can be at least partially attributed to the riots—as well as to the sometimes irrational fear that followed. Perhaps most tragically, a number of racial lines were hardened by these events. A city that already was painfully segregated became arguably more so after those two weeks, and efforts to undo the damage have continued since.
As the University community plans for the 2008 commemoration, several activities are coming together to form the basis for "Baltimore '68: Riots and Rebirth." A multidisciplinary planning committee has successfully completed research on all print media published in Baltimore pertaining to the death of King, the riots and civic engagement immediately following. Using those articles, the group has generated a comprehensive timeline that will be made broadly available throughout the community.
Currently, the committee is overseeing efforts by faculty and students to document the experiences of a range of Baltimoreans through an ambitious oral history project. In addition, the timeline is being used to create a computer simulation of riot activity, showing, for the first time, the patterns of disturbances as they moved across the city.
"Our goal is to be comprehensive in documenting and interpreting the impact of these violent episodes on our communities," Elfenbein said. "To do this, we are talking to ordinary Baltimoreans who may have been involved, including business owners, National Guardsmen, and schoolchildren—anyone who may have felt the effects."
A timetable for the conference and related activities is expected shortly after the first of the year. Further announcements concerning guest speakers, public events and related activities will be made in a timely fashion.
More information about "Baltimore '68: Riots and Rebirth" is available by contacting Elfenbein at 410.837.5340.
The University of Baltimore is a member of the University System of Maryland and comprises the School of Law, the Yale Gordon College of Liberal Arts and the Merrick School of Business.