Existing comment:
“I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT—WHY CAN'T THEY BEHAVE AS IF THEY HAD GOOD EDUCATIONS, GOOD HOUSING AND GOOD JOBS?”
Reacting to incidents of police brutality, African Americans in Detroit, Michigan, and Newark, New Jersey, rioted in July 1967. By emphasizing the decay and filth in the slum, Herblock juxtaposes the insidious nature of poverty with the inability of white leaders to come to terms with the consequences of slum dwellers’ frustrations. While considering Senate anti-riot legislation, South Carolina Republican Strom Thurmond (1902–2003) argued that African Americans had no cause for discontent, while experts testified that impoverished communities needed jobs and housing.
“I Don't Understand It—Why Can’t They Behave As If They Had Good Educations, Good Housing and Good Jobs?” 1967. Published in the Washington Post, August 23, 1967. |