Although the Civil Rights Movement was gaining momentum, African Americans still had to deal with frustration, unfairness, and segregation in many aspects of life. What began as a white bartender’s refusal to give a glass of water to a black man resulted in a five day riot. The National Guard was called in and the people of Hough were forced to evacuate, fearing for their lives.
The Cleveland Police Department, predominantly white , had rarely gotten along well with Cleveland’s black citizens. Hough had strained relationships with the police, especially Chief Richard R. Wagner. Mayor Ralph S. Locher often sided with the police, causing further tension between city officials and Hough citizens.
The white leaders of Cleveland did not understand the viewpoints of Hough Citizens or see a need to help them.
July 18th, 1966:
At dusk, a man entered a bar on the southeast corner of East 79th Street and Hough Avenue. He bought a bottle of wine and then requested a glass of water from a white bartender who refused to give him one. Later, a sign was placed in the window of the 79ers café. The sign read, “No Water for Niggers.” This move by the bar’s white owner caused the tension in Hough to explode. Mobs quickly formed, throwing broken glass and rocks at the bar.
July 20th, 1966:The riots never paused, especially at night. When Cleveland policemen were not enough, Mayor Locher ordered in 1,700 National Guardsmen.
July 22nd, 1966: A heavy rainstorm calmed the riots and the fires. Since no one was outside due to the rain, the guardsmen had time to finish patrolling Hough. Stores eventually reopened on July 25.
“A request was made today by a group of urban blacks to fully support law and order and to treat everyone equally when making arrests.”
Plain Dealer, August 3, 1966
Newly elected mayor Carl Stokes agreed with their request. He knew that rebuilding Hough would require a lot of time and effort, but in the end would set an example for other struggling black communities in Cleveland.
The Hough Riots gave Cleveland, now 79% black, a bad reputation for its extreme segregation. Mayor Locher, due to his disregard for the black community, lost to black candidate Carl Stokes in 1967, making Cleveland the first large city to elect a black mayor. $1.5 million dollars was spent on programs to uplift inner city youth, but most of them failed. The impact that the riots had on Cleveland was immense, requiring a city with hardly any money to try and revamp a broken ghetto community.
The Cleveland Police Department, predominantly white , had rarely gotten along well with Cleveland’s black citizens. Hough had strained relationships with the police, especially Chief Richard R. Wagner. Mayor Ralph S. Locher often sided with the police, causing further tension between city officials and Hough citizens.
The white leaders of Cleveland did not understand the viewpoints of Hough Citizens or see a need to help them.
July 18th, 1966:
At dusk, a man entered a bar on the southeast corner of East 79th Street and Hough Avenue. He bought a bottle of wine and then requested a glass of water from a white bartender who refused to give him one. Later, a sign was placed in the window of the 79ers café. The sign read, “No Water for Niggers.” This move by the bar’s white owner caused the tension in Hough to explode. Mobs quickly formed, throwing broken glass and rocks at the bar.
July 20th, 1966:The riots never paused, especially at night. When Cleveland policemen were not enough, Mayor Locher ordered in 1,700 National Guardsmen.
July 22nd, 1966: A heavy rainstorm calmed the riots and the fires. Since no one was outside due to the rain, the guardsmen had time to finish patrolling Hough. Stores eventually reopened on July 25.
“A request was made today by a group of urban blacks to fully support law and order and to treat everyone equally when making arrests.”
Plain Dealer, August 3, 1966
Newly elected mayor Carl Stokes agreed with their request. He knew that rebuilding Hough would require a lot of time and effort, but in the end would set an example for other struggling black communities in Cleveland.
The Hough Riots gave Cleveland, now 79% black, a bad reputation for its extreme segregation. Mayor Locher, due to his disregard for the black community, lost to black candidate Carl Stokes in 1967, making Cleveland the first large city to elect a black mayor. $1.5 million dollars was spent on programs to uplift inner city youth, but most of them failed. The impact that the riots had on Cleveland was immense, requiring a city with hardly any money to try and revamp a broken ghetto community.