Planet Money: What a 1968 Report Tells Us About the Persistence of Racial Inequality

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A violent disturbance of the peace by a crowd. In the context of the article, this term refers to the burning of buildings, break-ins, and looting that occurred in impoverished neighborhoods throughout the United States during what became known as the "long, hot summer of 1967."

Lyndon Johnson (1908-1973)

President of the United States from 1963-1969. One of his signature programs was the Great Society, meant to eliminate racial injustice and poverty. He signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

Kerner Commission

A group that was tasked by President Lyndon Johnson to compose a report analyzing the racial unrest seen in several American cities in 1967. This information compiled by this group determined that poverty and institutional racism were the root causes of the violence and unrest that took place in African American neighborhoods.

Civil rights

Individual rights that are guaranteed and protected by the Constitution of the United States and federal laws passed by Congress. Throughout American history, these rights were not always upheld, especially with respect to African Americans. To change this inequity, Black leaders and allies organized protests and actions which led to a movement to ensure these rights were applied to all Americans, regardless of their race. There were multiple civil rights movements throughout history, most notably the period from 1954 to 1968 which saw marches, sit-ins, boycotts, and other actions to demand equal treatment under the law.

Jesse Jackson

A civil rights activist and presidential candidate. During the civil rights movement, he participated in protests to desegregate businesses in Greensboro, North Carolina. He also participated in the march over the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, where non-violent protesters were beaten by the police in an event that became known as Bloody Sunday. During the 1980s, he created and led the Rainbow Coalition to advocate for human rights.