On August 7, 1966, a race riot broke out in Lansing, Michigan, which was part of a larger wave of racial unrest across the United States during the 1960s. The disturbances were fueled by racial tensions between African American residents and the predominantly white police force and local authorities.

The riot in Lansing followed similar incidents in other urban areas where African Americans, frustrated by poor living conditions, discrimination, and police brutality, clashed with law enforcement. The Lansing riot was marked by looting, burning of buildings, and confrontations with the police, although it was not as intense or prolonged as some of the larger riots occurring in other cities like Detroit or Watts.

In the aftermath, local leaders, including civil rights activists and city officials, worked to address the underlying issues of racial inequality, but tensions remained high in many communities across the country, which continued to face the struggle for civil rights and social justice.