Wickham St., Valley August 1965. Gympie Rd., Kedron October 1968.
August 12, 1965
4
.- - Watts: The Forgotten §hm Thirby-one dead, over 700 injured, 2,200 under ar- rest, 1,000 €ires,property damage of $200 million- such is the preliminary toll for -the long-weekend of rioting in the Watts area of Los Angeles. A feverish search for scapegoats is now under way and w i l l no doubtcontinuethroughthe 1966 gubernatorial cam- paign. High on the scapegoat list is the self-righteous Chief of Police who dismisses as a “canard the charge thatthe Los Angeles police could ever be guilty of brutality; apparently Chief Paker doesn’t watch tele- vision. Then there is Sam Yorty, the agile Mayor, play- ing politlcal tricks as -always;. warned of the possibility of riots, he did nothing. The list is long and includes The Heat-a favorite scapegoat in all’ race-riot investi-, gations-and Social Condltipns.HereWattsqualifies on all counts: dropouts, delinquency,, disease and de- pendency. But none of’these social.factors alone or in combinamtion necessarily race riots2 actually it is when csonditions seem to-be improving-that the riots usualry explode. Predictably ,the forthcoming inxesti- gation ordered by Governor Brown will’ stress the same Oresome cliches : police brutality,inadequateleader- ship, The Heat,%lum conditions.’ All lthe ‘whle the truth about Watts is right ,there’ in front of people, in, plain boldface type, for all to read; so simple that it is in- credible. The hatied and violence of race riots is’trig: gered by ‘contempt, and of $1 forms of contempt the’ most intolerable is nonrecognitron, the general un- awareness that a minority is festering i n squalo:.: Until the riots be~gan, Watts had ,siinply been iorgotten by the encompassing “white” community. ’ A sizable Negro community began to develop in Mud Town, as Watts’was then cal1ed;gfter 1916; +e com- muqity ’ later spxead dong Centrd Avenue with the influx ,of demo migrants from the South which came’ after World War I. In the 1920s, Waws was a well- known slum-the unfading ’ butt of bad jokes 6y cmnedians on t,he Orpheum circuit. I But it did exist; people’ knewabout it. Arna Bontemps wrote a novel about it (God -Sends ‘Sulzdng, 193,l); while Gilmore. Mdlen wrote a ‘novel about the rise of Central’Avenue, (Sweet Mmz, 1‘1392)’. For: the new residentsof the I920s and 1930s, Wabts was a fact: perceived, studied (a Si$) and &derstood! (to some’ extent). But the big post- World’ ’ Wa< 1.I migration and! boom changed, all that. Today there a~re thousands of new residents wlm have never seen Watts.‘They may have driven through, it or over- I* jr arounda-lt. but never tod, nor have #.they ever stoppedh-exeexcept to change a ‘tire. Actfully isolaited from the- dlsagreeaETe,- the lzawte bourgeoisie of Brentwood; Bel-Air and‘ Beveuly Hills ’can shop; lunch and play games for years bn end.mthout seeing a Nepo- except: as a dome~stic. The, new middle class,: living in jerxy-built “hly white” subdiwisions, each with. its own shapping-cemter, cambonestky claim $0 be do more aware of Watts than the nice Germans were o’f Belsen. ‘For the highly paid techniGians at the Jet Pro- pulsion Lab, Watts might well be an unnamed crater on the moon. If the culture-conscious upper middle class, currently preoccupied with new music and art centers, has heard of Watts at all it is probably as the site of the three bizarre and oddly beautiful Watts Towers. This universal unawareness of the squalor and misery that is Watts has fostered the illusion not merely that Los Angeles is without a serious “race problem” but that it is a much better city, in this re- spect, than Chicago (see p. 92) or New York which, for a time, was ,true. Arna Bontemps k d Jack Conroy found’ that Negro migrants had made a better adjust- ment in Los Angeles than in any other American city, a circumstance they explained by suggesting that the Japanese- and Mexican-Americans had drawn off much ’of the .racial hostilitywhichotherwisewould have‘keenconcentratedagainst Negroes (They Seek A City, p. ZOS), but this has longceased to be the case. , For a time, Negroes flocked h t o Los Angeles in the post-1945 period, at the rate of 2,000, a month, mosl of them looking for but not findmg defense job,s, more recently, the rate dropped to about I 1,000 a month. watts is the ghetto of themigrants; 98 pen cent Negro, it’ has the highestpopulationdensity in the country. “Ever since World War 11,” the Sun (Fran- cisco Chronicle notes, “Watts has been a little like a pressure cooker.” Of coFrse &ere is a lack of local leadership, most of-the residents are migrants. ,FoJ- lowing the Los Angeles pattern, middle-class Negroes left .Watts years ‘ago and today have~little dinect con- tact with it. ,Moreover, by ignoring the existing mid- dle-class Negro leadership, the larger community has undercut ,whatever influence thls leadership might haye exerted- among Watts residents. 1 Two brief camexa shots suggest the reality of Watts. In, one a large, cabmvoiced Negro paoently explained to Governor Brown that the larger community’ was “always taking from Watts and not putting back”, why, be wanted to know, “do tliey do’ us hke they do,?” Inl anotker shot,, a Negro told the #Governor that the Ne- groes of Watts “know how other people live”; they watch television. They know, he, said, how much’ the government is spending OM “mlssiles and, things hke that_” They could, hardly not la~ow, llving in Southern1 Callforni,a. Only last fall, shortly before. the election, President Johnson: reminded the Californians th,at the governmenlt pours more than $2 billion amnua;ll;y into ehe payrolls of the state’s aerospace mdnstries, most of it in Southem Cxlifornia. For a time the general boom! provided a measure of upward mobdlty even for Negro’ residentsand thereby stimulafied, still further Negzo migrahon. But for the l’asb year or so, new Negro migrants, have found themselves inareaslngly battled - up in Watts with httle ixnmediate prospect of escape,
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Watts riots
Transcript of August 12, 1965
. -- Watts:TheForgottenhm Thirby-one dead, over700injured,2,200underar- rest,1,000 !ires,propertydamageof$200million- suchisthe preliminarytollfor-the long-weekendof riotinginthe Watts areaofLosAngeles.Afeverish search for scapegoatsisnowunderwayandwi l lno doubtcontinuethroughthe1966gubernatorialcam- paign. High on the scapegoat list is the self-righteous ChiefofPolice whodismissesasa canard thecharge thattheLosAngelespolicecouldeverbeguiltyof brutality; apparentlyChiefPaker doesnt watchtele- vision. ThenthereisSam Yorty, theagile Mayor, play- ing politlcaltricksas-always;.warnedofthe possibility ofriots,hedidnothing.Thelistislongand includes The Heat-afavoritescapegoatinall race-riotinvesti-, gations-andSocialCondltipns.HereWattsqualifies onallcounts:dropouts, delinquency,, diseaseandde- pendency. But noneofthesesocial.factorsaloneorin combinamtion necessarilyraceriots2actuallyit iswhen csonditions seem to-beimproving-thatthe riots usualryexplode.Predictably, the forthcoming inxesti- gationordered byGovernor Brown will stressthesame Oresomecliches :policebrutality,inadequateleader- ship, The Heat,%lum conditions.All lthe whlethetruth aboutWattsisright,thereinfrontofpeople,in,plain boldfacetype,forall t oread;sosimplethatitisin- credible. Thehatiedandviolenceofraceriotsistrig: geredby contempt,andof$1formsofcontemptthe mostintolerableisnonrecognitron,thegeneralun- awarenessthataminorityisfesteringi n squalo:.:Until theriots be~gan, Watts had ,siinply been iorgottenby the encompassing white community. Asizable Negro community beganto develop in Mud Town,asWattswasthencal1ed;gfter1916; +ecom- muqity laterspxeaddongCent rdAvenuewith the influx ,of demo migrantsfromtheSouthwhichcame after WorldWarI. Inthe1920s,Wawswas awell- knownslum-theunfading buttofbadjokes6y cmnediansont,heOrpheum circuit.I Butitdidexist; people knew aboutit.ArnaBontempswroteanovel abouti t (God -SendsSulzdng,193,l); whileGilmore. Mdlenwrotea novel abouttheriseofCentralAvenue, (Sweet Mmz ,11392). For: thenewresidents oftheI920s and1930s,Wabtswasafact:perceived,studied(a Si $)and &derstood!(to someextent). But the big post- World Wa< 1.Imigrationand! boomchanged, allthat. Todaytherea~rethousandsofnewresidentswlm haveneverseenWatts.They mayhavedriventhrough, i to r over-I*j r arounda-lt.but nevert od,nor have #.they everstoppedh-exeexcepttochangea tire. Actfully isolaitedfromthe- dlsagreeaETe,-thelzawtebourgeoisie ofBrentwood;Bel-AirandBeveulyHillscanshop; lunchandplay games for yearsbnend.mthout seeing a Nepo-except: asadome~stic. The,new middleclass,: living in jerxy-built hly white subdiwisions, each with. i t sownshapping-cemter,cambonestkyclaim$0bedo more awareofWatts than the niceGermans wereof Belsen. For thehighlypaidtechniGiansattheJetPro- pulsionLab,Wattsmightwellbea nunnamedcrater onthemoon.Iftheculture-consciousuppermiddle class, currentlypreoccupiedwith new music and art centers,hasheardofWattsatallitis probablyasthe siteofthethreebizarreandoddlybeautifulWatts Towers.Thisuniversalunawarenessofthesqualor and miserythatis Wattshasfosteredtheillusionnot merelythatLosAngelesiswithoutaseriousrace problembutthatitisa much better city,inthisre- spect,thanChicago(seep.92)orNewYorkwhich, for atime,was,true. ArnaBontempsk d Jack Conroy foundthat Negromigrantshadmadea betteradjust- ment in LosAngeles thaninanyotherAmericancity, acircumstancetheyexplainedbysuggestingthatthe Japanese-andMexican-Americanshaddrawnoff muchofthe .racialhostilitywhichotherwisewould havekeenconcentratedagainstNegroes(TheySeek ACi ty, p. ZOS), but thishaslongceased to be the case. ,Fora time, Negroesflocked h t oLosAngelesin the post-1945period, at the rateof2,000, amonth, mosl ofthemlookingforbutnotfindmgdefensejob,s, morerecently,theratedroppedtoaboutI 1,000a month.wattsistheghettoofthe migrants;98pen centNegro,it has thehighest population densityin thecountry.Ever sinceWorldWar 11, theSun (Fran- ciscoChroniclenotes, Wattshas beenalittlelikea pressurecooker.OfcoFrse&ereisalackoflocal leadership,mostof-the residentsaremigrants.,FoJ- lowingtheLosAngelespattern,middle-classNegroes left .Wattsyearsagoandtodayhave~littledinectcon- tact with it.,Moreover, byignoring the existingmid- dle-class Negroleadership,the larger community has undercut,whateverinfluencethlsleadershipmight hayeexerted-amongWattsresidents. 1 Two briefcamexashotssuggest the realityofWatts. In, onealarge,cabmvoicedNegropaoentlyexplained toGovernorBrownthatthelargercommunitywas always taking from Watts and notputtingback,why, be wantedtoknow,dotlieydo us hke theydo,? Inl anotkershot,, a Negrotoldthe#GovernorthattheNe- groesofWattsknow howotherpeoplelive;they watchtelevision.Theyknow,he, said, howmuch the governmentisspendingOMmlssilesand, things hke that_They could, hardlynotla~ow, llvingin Southern1 Callforni,a. Onlylast fall,shortlybefore. theelection, PresidentJohnson:remindedtheCaliforniansth,atthe governmenlt pours morethan $2 billionamnua;ll;y into ehepayrolls ofthe statesaerospacemdnstries, mostof it in Southem Cxlifornia.Fora timethegeneralboom! provideda measureofupward mobdltyeven for Negro residentsandtherebystimulafied, stillfurtherNegzo migrahon.Butforthelasbyearorso,newNegro migrants, have foundthemselves inareaslngly battled- upin Wattswithhttle ixnmediateprospectofescape, whilebeingbombardeddayandnightwithimagesof affluence,andconstantlytemptedby,the well-stocked shelveso lthe supermarketsEvenso,mxtters might havegonealongas before,given a measureofinsight andrecognitionand understanding. Neglectcanbe tolerated,discrimrnatroncan beendured,butthecon- temptofindifferenceinflames, NOW,atlast,Wattshas recoveredItssocial identity. Thosewhosaythattheriots have setthecivilrights movementback-thattheyhave lefit permanentscars, etc.-ssimplydonotknowthehistoryofbig-cityrace riots.Thesad.factisthatmostraceriotshavebrought somereliefandImprovementinracerelationsand theLosAngelesriotswillnotbeanexceptlon.The seemingind~fferenceofthelargercommunityisstruc- tural.LosAngelesisthecityofsprawl. To sprawlis torelaxandfeelcomfortable.Formostresidents,Los Angelesisa comfortablecity,psychologicallyaswell asphysically,because the unpleasantcanbekeptin Its place-ata safedistancefrommoatofthepeople. Byaccident morethandesign,LosAngeleshasbeen organizedtofurtherthegeneraltendencytoward social indifference. The freeways have been carefully designedtoslumoverandskirtaroundsucheyesores as Watts and portionsofEastLosAngeles;even the downbownsection, a portionofwhichhasbecomea shopping area forminorrtles,has, been partiallyby- passed.Nowthatthecommunityknowsonceagain thatWattsexists,i,twillbegintopaysomeattention to its problems.Nothingcould bemorefatuous,therez fore,,than thesuggestion advanced,mostsurprisingly byMaxLerneramongothers,that theLosAngeles riots werewithout a cause.Hatredneverexistsma vacuum,andviolenceofthis sort isrieverwithouta cause. IfWatts livesin historyit willbeasthescene ofthe riots and the homeoftheTowers.The three WattsTowers,whichhavedrawnthepr aseofdrs- tmguishedart critics, were built by Simon Rodiaalone, unaided,at his own expense,overaperiodofthirty- three years.Hebuilt thetovyersoutofwaste which hehadcollected:brokentiles,dishes,bolttles,over 70,000 sea,shells, bottlecapsandwhatnot.The walled gardenfromwhichthetowersriseiscoveredwith multicoloredmosaicsorwithimprintsoftools, hands, corncobs and baskets,Out ofthiswaste he builtthree structuresofgreatbeauty.Hebuiltthemwithno drawing-boarddesigns,machineequipmentorscaf- folding:theywereliterallybuiltintheair.Rodia wasbornin Romeandcametothiscountrywhenhe was12. Atilesetterand telephonerepairman,heset- tledinWatts anddevotedmost,ofhis lifeto building the towers which,whencompletedin1954, he gave to thecityand hisneighbors.I wantedlodosomethlng forthe UnitedStates, he said,because therearenice peopleinthiscountry.Whateverhisreasons,the towers-andthetowersalone-redeemtosomeex- tent theuglinessand hatefulnessofWatts, theslum LosAngelesforgot.In1959Rodialeft Watts, notto return,amanofhisquaintold-worldsocial atfitudes 90 ,_ ., ,. -obviouslydidnotbelonginjet;ageL O ~ AngeIes.l~He wasreluctanttosay why.Ifyourmother dies :a
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