Lasting Scars: West Dayton and the 1966 riots

Fifty years ago, west Dayton burned.

The drive-by shooting of a black man in front of his home kicked off one of the city’s worst race riots on Sept. 1, 1966. The killing was the final spark for west Dayton, which was seething with frustration over issues related to race and segregation.

Today, Dayton metropolitan area remains one of the country’s most segregated. The Great Miami River still serves as a boundary dividing people along racial and economic lines.

We are exploring the legacy of the 1966 riots, and examining how far we have — or haven’t — come in addressing the issues that fueled them.

>>> Read: “Lasting Scars, Part 1: Shooting sparked 1966 Dayton riots”

>>> Related: Mitchell slaying unsolved, but detective convinced he talked to killer

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