Kerner Commission Report

Note: This page is archived. It is kept only for reference purposes, so it is no longer being updated, and the digital documents (PDF, PPT, etc.) found on this page may not meet accessibility standards. If you need these documents in a different format, please email belonging@berkeley.edu. Note: The following is the Summary of the Kerner Commission Report. The entire report is available here. For a compilation of key recommendations, click here. Summary of the Kerner Commission Report INTRODUCTION The summer of 1967 again brought racial disorders to American cities, and with them shock, fear and bewilderment to the nation. The worst came during a two-week period in July, first in Newark and then in Detroit. Each set off a chain reaction in neighboring communities. On July 28, 1967, the President of the United States estab­lished this Commission and directed us to answer three basic questions: What happened? Why did it happen? What can be done to prevent it from happening again? To respond to these questions, we have undertaken a broad range of studies and investigations. We have visited the riot cities; we have heard many witnesses; we have sought the counsel of experts across the country. This is our basic conclusion: Our nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white--separate and unequal. Reaction to last summer's disorders has quickened the move­ment and deepened the division. Discrimination and segrega­tion have long permeated much of American …