The Kerner Report: 50 Years Later
The Landmark Study on Racial Unrest
In 1967, President Lyndon Johnson established the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, known as the Kerner Commission, to investigate the causes of widespread racial unrest in the United States. The commission’s landmark report, the Kerner Report, identified white racism as the root cause of the riots that had erupted in poor African-American neighborhoods across the country.
Key Findings of the Kerner Report
The Kerner Report found that systemic racism permeated American society, from segregated schools and neighborhoods to housing discrimination, cycles of poverty, and lack of employment opportunities. The report concluded that white institutions had created and maintained the ghetto, and that white society condoned its existence.
Progress and Setbacks
In the years following the release of the Kerner Report, there was some progress in addressing racial inequality. However, this progress slowed and eventually reversed, leading to a resurgence of racial and ethnic discrimination.
Current State of Racial Inequality
- Segregation is increasing in cities and schools, limiting opportunities for African-American children to receive a quality education and escape poverty.
- Home ownership rates among black Americans have declined, reversing gains made after the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968.
- In 2016, the number of people living in deep poverty was 16 percentage points higher than in 1975, and the number of U.S. children living in poverty has climbed to 21%.
- Black unemployment remains higher than white unemployment, and the incarceration rate of black people has tripled since 1968.
- The wealth gap between white and black families has widened, with the median white family having 10 times the wealth of the median black family.
Government Response
The Johnson administration largely ignored the recommendations of the Kerner Report, which called for massive investments in employment, education, and housing. The report was seen as politically toxic, and Congress was unwilling to approve the necessary funding.
Renewed Calls for Action
Fifty years after the release of the Kerner Report, a new study by the Milton Eisenhower Foundation has concluded that the conditions that led to the riots in the 1960s are still present today. The study calls for a renewed investment in addressing racial inequality and opening up a conversation about race, poverty, and inequality.
The Legacy of the Kerner Report
The Kerner Report remains a seminal document in the history of the civil rights movement. It exposed the deep-seated racism that plagued American society and called for bold action to address it. While progress has been made in some areas, much work remains to be done to achieve true racial equality in the United States.
