On May 1, 1967, the United States entered what would become one of the most explosive summers of civil unrest in the nation’s history. Between May 1 and October 1, over 40 major race-related riots and more than 100 smaller disturbances erupted across the country. Fueled by long-standing grievances over police brutality, housing discrimination, unemployment, and systemic racism, these uprisings became known as part of the “Long, Hot Summer of 1967.” Cities such as Detroit, Newark, Milwaukee, and Tampa saw violent clashes between Black residents and law enforcement, prompting a national reckoning with racial injustice. President Lyndon B. Johnson responded by forming the Kerner Commission to investigate the root causes — which concluded that America was “moving toward two societies, one Black, one white—separate and unequal.”