MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

In the year 1968 the United States was in a dire state. On January 1st an editorial printed in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette stated, “1968 promises to be a lively year of travail as Americans undergo further test of their national character.” For years African Americans had been in a tense battle for civil rights, and the effects could be seen and felt all across the nation. In the week following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., across the United States, there was an influx of violence. Rather than simply mourn the loss of another great civil rights leader, decades of building tension spilled into the streets. African Americans had the feeling that there was not much more they could do. Hysteria and panic ensued. The assassination of King brought decades of racism and tension between the Caucasian and African American communities, of multiple cities, to their breaking point. An examination and evaluation of the racial climate of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania prior to the unrest, with an extensive look into the media’s portrayal of African Americans during the time, can provide insight into what caused the Hill District section of the city to erupt in mass violence from April 5th until April 10, 1968.