1967 Riviera Beach riot

The 1967 Riviera Beach riot was one of 159 riots during the Long, hot summer of 1967. It would originate in Riviera Beach, Florida but later it would spill over into nearby West Palm Beach.^[1]

Background[]

Prior to the riots, Riviera Beach had racial segregation seen residentially and through education. One predominantly white subdivision was surrounded by a wall which separated it from the nearby black neighborhoods. Black residents were not allowed to visit a nearby beach on Singer Island.^[1]

At the time of the riots, Palm Beach County had one black in their judiciary, Edward Rodgers who serving as an assistant prosecutor. He was also an attorney and substitute municipal judge. Riviera Beach's residents at the time were mostly black yet it's police force would be mostly composed of white officers.^[1] That same day, Riviera Beach officials would dedicate two segregated recreational facilities.^[2] The riots would be on the day after William Heidtman, an active Republican Party member who was also an accountant and insurance salesman was appointed as the Sheriff of Palm Beach County by Governor Claude R. Kirk Jr.^[1]

Starting incident and riots[]

After a fight broke out at the Blue Heron Bar located near the Port of Palm Beach on July 30, 1967. The police would arrest a 27-year-old black man named James Mitchell and the reason for his arrest is unclear. At the time of the arrest, most of the patrons at the bar would be black. A rumor would spread afterwards about him being beaten by the police. The patrons themselves would taunt the police and follow the officers outside. After the arrest another rumor would spread that the police were hitting bystanders who were innocent.^[1][2]

400 blacks would pour into the streets and the riots would begin, lasting for four hours. 45 arrests would be made in total during the riots and tear gas would be used. 14 teenagers would be arrested in West Palm Beach on charges of arson and possessing materials to create fire bombs. 2 warehouses owned by the Mullins Lumber Company would catch on fire and cause $350,000 in damages. At an unspecified time during the riots, the crowd would throw bricks and bottles at firefighters demanding that Mitchell be released. The police would let go of Mitchell briefly in an attempt to cool tensions and insisted he was not hurt by the police. Governor Claude Kirk would visit Riviera Beach during the riots at an unknown time to talk with local officials and the National Guard. He would offer to impose a curfew but local officials took it down. National Guard troopers were prepared for possible usage but never requested.^[2][3]

Aftermath[]

During July 31, a city council meeting was held and residents would accuse the police department's brutality and discriminatory traffic enforcement towards the local black community. Sheriff Heidtman would ask for a sizable increase in the Sheriff's Department's riot related expenses during that day. Politicians in Florida would attempt to place the blame ranging from Fidel Castro, H. Rap Brown and Stokely Carmichael. On the evening of July 31, Walter Cronkite would announce the riots occurrence in Riviera Beach.^[2] Also during that evening, the police would disperse a crowd gathering at Rosemary Avenue and Fourth Street in West Palm Beach. The bail for those who were arrested was reduced four days after the riots and most would be released. Despite Palm Beach County Criminal Court Judge Russell H. McIntosh refusing to lower bail until they were charged and the backgrounds of them were investigated. McIntosh would appoint Rogers, as 1 of 5 members of a bail reduction committee. The committee ended up reducing the bail amount eventually four days later.^[2] For several days afterwards, local residents were afraid of a flair up with liquor stores being boarded up and gun stores would remove weapons from display. The Mullins family who owned the warehouses, would end up selling them as their insurance provider ended up paying 20% of their insurance claim and a business venture they had in The Bahamas failed at roughly the same time.^[1]

The local African–American community would say that the riots were fueled by the poor housing conditions and a lack of recreation facilities within their community. When Sheriff Heidtman was writing a report to the Governor about the riots, he would blame news media rhetoric saying that riots would happen across the United States. The reasons proposed by African–Americans would go ignored. Local officials and media would praise law enforcement's handling of the situation.^[4]

At some point after the riots, a federal jobs program would be brought to the city.^[1][2] In the following years after the riots, the representation of African-Americans would increase at the county and municipal level. Palm Beach County would elect the first African-American member to the School District of Palm Beach County in 1970.^[5] Four years after the riots would happen, the city council would become majority black.^[1][2]

External links[]

• Footage of the riots from Florida Memory on YouTube

References[]