The Kerner Report: 50 Years Later

In the aftermath of the 1967 urban “riots,” President Lyndon B. Johnson established the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, known as the Kerner Commission after its chair, Governor Otto Kerner, Jr. of Illinois. The 11-member commission examined the conditions of the cities that led to the turmoil and made recommendations addressing the underlying causes. The Commission’s report, released on February 29, 1968, marks a pivotal moment in the changing dynamics of U.S. cities and of critical analysis of the role of race as a division in America.

Special guest speaker Dr. Fred Harris is an original member of the Kerner Commission – and the last surviving member. Elected to the U.S. Senate from the state of Oklahoma in 1964, Senator Harris quickly became one of the most active members of the senate and was deeply concerned about the plight of economically deprived inner-city African Americans, recognizing that unequal treatment of urban neighborhoods was one of the determining factors in the urban unrests of the 1960s.

A panel discussion will follow Dr. Harris’ keynote. Noted historian and Chicago civil rights activist Timuel Black will be joined by former mayor of Berkeley and human rights activist Eugene “Gus” Newport and former vice president of the W K Kellogg Foundation, Dr. Gail Christopher. Also included on the panel will be local activists and community builders: José Lopez of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, Willie J.R. Fleming of the Chicago Anti-Eviction Campaign, and Anthony Lowery of the Safer Foundation.

Part of a full week of activities on the 50th anniversary of the release of the Kerner Report from February 26 through March 2. See the full list here.

For more information on these events, please check the individual event pages on our calendar. For the March 1 main event with keynote speaker Dr. Fred Harris, an RSVP is appreciated, and can be registered for free here.