1968 – The Year that Shattered Akron by David Lieberth

Akron has been having the conversation on Race since 1851. Few young people are aware that following the assassination of Martin Luther King in 1968, Akron experienced the violence that infected so many American cities – disillusioned young black men rioting, attacking the businesses of white merchants, confronting police. In Akron, a thousand National Guard troops quelled the disturbances after 6 nights of rioting. Black leaders came together to respond. A commission was formed to assess the reasons for the violence.