Watts Rebellion Collection

Collection

Identifier: SPC-2019-010

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Watts Rebellion Collection (1863, 1942-2015; undated) contains 19.33 linear feet of material mostly related to the Watts Rebellion that took place in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1965. Series One contains material related to the Watts Rebellion (Sub-Series A) and material related to the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles (Sub-Series B) and includes newspapers; magazine articles; photographs; material collected from the CSUDH exhibit on the Watts Rebellion; images and a DVD regarding Wattstax; photographs and magazines regarding the Watts Summer Festival; and material related to the Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC). Series Two contains magazines, reports, programs, photographs, and newspaper clippings related to events and occurrences that took place in Los Angeles in 1965 (Sub-Series A); and photographs and newspaper articles covering the riots and aftermath that took place in 1992 (Sub-Series B). Series Three contains magazine and newspaper articles regarding race, rioting, segregation, poverty, and other related issues.

Dates

1863, 1942-2015; undated

Language of Materials

Collection material is in English.

Conditions Governing Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

The Gerth Archives and Special Collections is not the copyright holder for photographs credited to Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, Los Angeles Times, and Press Telegram. If a patron wishes to make copies of materials in this collection, it is the responsibility of the researcher to attempt to locate the holder of the copyright to obtain permission for publication. Full responsibility for legal questions relating to the use and publication of manuscripts rests with the researcher.

History of the Watts Rebellion

The Watts Rebellion, also known as the Watts riots, took place from August 11-17, 1965 in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. At the time, it was the worst riot in the city’s history until the Los Angeles riots of 1992. The riots started after an incident that took place on August 11, 1965 when Marquette Frye was pulled over and arrested for alleged reckless driving by a California Highway Patrol Officer. After Frye’s arrest, tensions rose and the situation escalated between officers and the crowd that had gathered. Six days of civil unrest followed resulting in 34 deaths; 1,032 injuries; 3,438 arrests; and cost more than $40 million dollars in property damage.

Extent

7 boxes

19.33 Linear Feet

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection contains material related to the Watts Rebellion, the Watts neighborhood, Los Angeles during 1965, the 1992 Los Angeles riots, and also includes material regarding race, rioting, civil rights, activism, and poverty. A majority of this collection consists of newspaper and magazine articles; and also includes photographs, reports, and other material.