Mayor Louie Welch on Kerner Commission (1968)

Duration: 1:27

Year Published: 1968

Sound: sound

Description: In this news segment for Houston’s KPRC-TV, Mayor Louie Welch reflects on recent progress in the struggle for African-American civil rights. The press conference, conducted on March 4, was no doubt in response to recommendations by the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders. On July 28, 1867, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed an 11-member commission to investigate the causes of race riots and suggest solutions for the future. The commission—commonly known as the Kerner Commission after its chair, Illinois Governor Otto Kerner—released its final report on February 29, 1968. The document identified white racism as a main cause of surging racial violence. To prevent further riots and polarization, the commission advocated for expanded aid to African-American communities, such as housing programs to combat de facto residential segregation. Racial tensions remained high in Houston following the violent confrontation between police and Texas Southern University students in May 1967, prompting some Houstonians to worry about the possibility of a “hot summer,” a common descriptor for race riots.