The 1967 Lorain Riot
“We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed “(King). In the late night and early morning hours of July 27th, 1967, Black residents of Lorain sought to do just that--demand freedom. Freedom from the social inequalities that they and many other Black Americans across the nation were experiencing. Respectively, The Lorain Riot was one of more than 150 riots that arose in the summer months of 1967 in the United States. These “Rage Riots” resulted in major damage to communities and contributed to many injuries as well as to many deaths. However, the Lorain riot did not receive the national coverage that larger cities such as Detroit, Newark, Chicago, and Cincinnati were awarded.
Regardless, African Americans throughout the nation as well as those in Lorain, Ohio were growing weary from the mistreatment they suffered in social settings. In the state of Ohio discrimination happened pretty frequently in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Complaints against barber shops, beauty salons and hospitals were countless. Fair housing was a problem for African American’s as well, even though Ohio had expanded its antidiscrimination laws to cover housing in 1965. Lyndon Johnson’s war on crime gave rise to police infiltration into nearly all facets of Black social life. These rendezvous between Black people, especially the youth, and the Police stimulated a deep-seated resentment which often motivated violent responses. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Black people began rioting around the country.
"Lorain Damage by Firebombs," The Morning Journal, on Thursday, July 27, 1967.
What began as a normal Wednesday evening on July 26th, 1967, in Lorain soon turned hostile by late night and into the early morning hours. When word got around the city that 21-year-old Maurice Edwards, who was black, was shot to death by 65-year-old Ralph M. Lucas, who was white at a local tavern, Black people took to the streets of Lorain with “firebombs” which they threw into local businesses as well as into the Lorain Public Library. According to eyewitness, Edwards had begun punching Lucas in the face after an argument had started between Lucas who was bartending at the time and Edwards who was taunting him by opening a cooler door repeatedly. That is when Lucas shot Edwards. Shortly thereafter police got a call at 12:30 AM about a large group of Black people who were spotted filling glass bottles with some kind of liquid. When Police arrived, the group dissipated and ran from the scene. One witness told the officer attending that the group was angered by the fatal shooting of Maurice Edwards. Shortly thereafter the vandalism and arson attempts began. Police and firefighters sequestered the fires quickly, but there was a noteworthy amount of damage to several of the businesses, however, no injuries or deaths were reported.
Nevertheless, by morning one hundred National Guard troops arrived at the mayor’s request. Subsequently, a reward was offered for arsonists as suggested by the commissioner’s office and the prosecutor made a public statement that one could be imprisoned for up to twenty years for arson. Interestingly, African American leaders patrolled the streets the day following the riot to speak with the 18–24-year-old youths. They were able to speak to around 25 of them. Roger Crawford, President of the Lorain NAACP chapter indicated that in speaking with the youth he was able to explain the circumstances of the fatal shooting of Maurice Edwards and hoped that he had convinced the youth not to participate in violence. Crawford told reporters and the authorities that Black youth thought that Lucas should have been charged with first- or second-degree murder instead of a manslaughter charge. Moreover, Crawford indicated that the shooting wasn’t the only thing that motivated the riots. Like many Black people across the nation, Lorain Blacks lacked employment due to discriminatory practices. However, the Journal quoted Crawford as saying that “although the grievances held may be good ones, we gain nothing from resorting to violence, if anything we may loose what we once had.”
Lorain Peach March in July 1967. [fruther information about this image required.]
Fortunately for Lorain, no other violence erupted. In fact, The NAACP and Edward’s family led a peaceful march in Edward’s honor as well as to advocate for civil rights through the streets of Lorain. According to the “Call and Post” newspaper, forty-eight African Americans which included six of Edward’s family members, gathered near a gas station and started down Broadway. As they marched on, many others joined, bringing the number of marchers to 120. By the time they reached Memorial Park, there were more than two hundred that had assembled to listen to speeches made. Accordingly, Crawford pleaded for quality housing, increased jobs and for basic human rights, which reflected the deep-seated injustices that African Americans across the nation were feeling; the very hardships that prompted the riots in many other cities.
Therefore, what if anything can we learn from these riots? It is of utmost importance that we as a community and as a nation avoid allowing such injustices to occur amongst African Americans. We must understand the patterns that emerged prior to and during the Civil Rights movement. Social discontent in African American communities has been intensifying for many years. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “I think America must see that riots do not develop out of thin air” (The 1967 Riots: when Outrage over Racial Injustice Boiled Over). More Essentially, one must recognize the connections between the slaying of African Americans at the hands of both the police and other White Americans like was the case with Edwards and Lucas. Almost all riots that have risen from Black communities were the direct result of the death of their people. Civil unrest was already mounting but these deaths were that catalyst that ultimately ignited the fire of rage that prompted African Americans to riot. Appropriately, Dr. King reminds us that “a riot is the language of the unheard…as long as America postpones justice, we stand in the position of having these recurrences of violence and riots over and over again” (King).
Works Cited
"Across the Nation: Rioting Tension Eases; Lorain Has Peace March." Call and Post. (1962-1982), 5 August 1967, pp. 2. ProQuest, http://ezp2.cpl.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/across-nation/docview/184386983/se-2.
Evans, Farrell. "The 1967 Riots: When Outrage Over Racial Injustice Boiled Over."17 June 2023, History https://www.history.com/news/1967-summer-riots-detroit-newark-kerner-commission.
LaVIRHA, Jack, "Firebomb Rash Hits Lorain." The Morning Journal (published as THE MORNING JOURNAL), 2 July 1967, pp. 1.
Papania, Dick, "Anchor Inn Dispute Ends As Bartender Shoots, Kills Man." The Morning Journal (published as THE JOURNAL), 27 July 1967, pp. 1.
"Lorain Damage By Firebombs." The Morning Journal (published as THE JOURNAL). 27 July 1967, pp. 21.
"Negro Leaders to meet with Firebomb Gangs." The Morning Journal (published as THE JOURNAL), 27 July 1967, pp. #
"Twentieth-Century African American Civil Rights Movements in Ohio." National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property. Columbus: United statess department of the Inferior: National Park Service, 2018.
Taylor, Keeanga-Yamahtta. "The Unknown History of Black Uprisings." 24 June 2021. The New Yorker, https://www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/the-unknown-history-of-black-uprising
Mandolin Orange. “Wildfire.” Youtube, uploaded by Paste Magazine, 5 January, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9jwGansp1E
This page is based on Sarah Baldwin's research project.