A traffic stop in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles ignites six days of unrest leaving 34 dead and exposing deep racial and economic grievances.
At a Glance
- Date
- 11 August 1965
- Location
- Los Angeles, California
- Category
- Civil Unrest & Racial Violence
- Source
- McCone Commission Report (1965) · Britannica
What It Meant Then
It signaled that civil rights gains had not reached the urban North and West.
What It Means Now
Watts reframed national debate toward policing, poverty, and structural inequality.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “The Watts Uprising Begins.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-watts-uprising-begins/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). The Watts Uprising Begins. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-watts-uprising-begins/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “The Watts Uprising Begins.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-watts-uprising-begins/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.