In 1966, Martin Luther King Jr. brought the Civil Rights Movement to Chicago, making it a pivotal battleground for affordable housing and racial equality. His campaign promised to confront the systemic injustices that had long ravaged the city’s Black population. Following his tragic assassination in 1968, Chicago became the epicenter of a horrible wave of violence and civil disorder. This eventuality took a heavy toll on its communities, none more than its West Side neighborhoods.
The National Guard waiting to deploy after King’s assassination. Given the current context of a city still grieving the loss of former Mayor Andrew Young, many viewed this move as a slap in the face. As tensions continued to build, Mayor Richard J. Daley sought to preempt an uprising by flooding downtown with thousands of police. The move shattered hopes and the city’s Black community mourned. Their pain and rage exploded into unrest that covered a 28-block area of the city.
Most recently, Donald Trump’s administration was criticized for deploying a military-style response to urban unrest in Chicago. Numerous organizations, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), have protested Trump’s threats and actions. They view these actions as fundamentally racist, as a more than 1968 uprisings the perspective of the previously unheard.
The Civil Rights Movement in Chicago
Martin Luther King Jr. chose Chicago as a base for his efforts to expand the Civil Rights Movement northward in 1966. To underscore the differences that urban Black residents experience, he focused on the lack of affordable housing. His explicit goal was not to ameliorate discrimination but to end segregation and inequality outright.
Blanche Suggs-Killingsworth was one of many who shared about Dr. King’s deep influence. As she later elaborated, “Dr. King had reached a certain pinnacle of existence, a certain pinnacle of prominence. We had invested so much hope in him about what he was, what he meant, and what he was going to be. The movement brought a spark of hope to a lot of residents who had been yearning for a change.
This all changed after the atmosphere after King’s assassination on April 4, 1968. Like many cities, the last few months have seen a city consumed by mourning, anger quickly mobilizing into protests whose anger turned to violence.
“When you have a race of people that’s under a lot of despair, and then you have a leader that’s willing to speak up and speak for them, and then you lose him, you will have an adverse reaction.” – Blanche Suggs-Killingsworth
The Unrest of 1968
In response to King’s assassination, Chicago erupted into riots that included looting, vandalism, and arson. Over the following few days, rioters committed widespread destruction throughout the city. The weekend’s violence resulted in the tragic deaths of nine to eleven members of the Black community. Additionally, law enforcement executed more than 3,000 arrests.
The deployment of National Guard troops was not unexpected. It’s important to note that President Trump had hinted at possible military action in Chicago well before making his official announcement. The city responded by instating a zero tolerance curfew. Police enforced measures that banned the sale of alcohol and restricted or suspended gun purchases.
“You are ordered to get off the street. Six o’clock is curfew. If you are caught on the street after six o’clock you will be arrested or you will be shot on sight.” – Malcolm Smith
The aftermath left many buildings, with hundreds of structures leveled and losses estimated at $10 million.
Recent Responses to Tensions
In contemporary discussions surrounding law enforcement and community relations in Chicago, Governor JB Pritzker emerged as a vocal critic of Trump’s tactics. After the agents were sent to the city, Pritzker promised to sue the federal government. This ruling marks an important recognition of escalating civil rights violations.
Mayor Brandon Johnson joined these calls as he denounced the deployment of the Illinois National Guard as a counterproductive and dangerous escalation. Local groups like the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression have protested against perceived heavy-handed tactics aimed at marginalized communities.
“These shameful and lawless actions are not only a violation of constitutional rights but of our most basic liberty: the right to live free from persecution and fear.” – Anonymous source
Lilian Jiménez shared her perspective on how such actions affect local communities: “ICE acted like an invading army in our neighborhoods.” This is indicative of an increasing fear of federal overreach into local control.
A City Forever Changed
Yet the legacy of 1968 remains painfully evident in Chicago’s neighborhoods. Some of the wounds from that rocky era still run deep through the community today. Community leaders emphasize that the West Side has never truly recovered from the fallout of King’s assassination and the subsequent unrest.
Danny Davis described the excitement and hope that filled the streets during King’s campaigns: “Chicago was hot and heavy … you didn’t want to go to sleep at night because you might think you going to miss something.” Yet this nostalgia is infused with recollections of the loss and violence that ensued.
“Helicopters hovered above our homes, terrifying families and disturbing the peace of our community.” – Lilian Jiménez
Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy still resonates throughout Chicago making these events part of his indelible and storied history here. It’s where the city has been home to intense creative movements towards change and painful reminders of our country’s racial injustice.
