Berkeley High School Alumni: Bobby Seale, Jean Yonemura Wing, Billy Martin

Historical marker location:

Berkeley, California

( Marker is at the intersection of Alston Way and Martin Luther King Jr. Way, on the right when traveling west on Alston Way.)

In 1965, the Watts Riots erupted in Los Angeles after a police officer arrested a Black man for drunk driving. The six-day riot resulted in 34 deaths, over 1,000 injuries, and $40 million in property damage. The Watts Riots were a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement and helped to spark a nationwide conversation about race relations.