They point with pride to the museums and art galleries that were opened in the area in the 1990s surrounding the Watts Towers, a multistory sculpture in the heart of the community. Neighborhood leaders have recently begun a strategy to overcome Watts’ reputation as a violent and impoverished location. Half of the families and individuals in Watts had incomes that placed them below the poverty line. Watts was no longer black but it remained impoverished. Almost 61% of the residents were Latino and only 38% were African American. By the 2000 census, Watts was no longer a predominantly black section. As blacks abandoned the area, primarily Hispanic immigrants from Mexico and Central America replaced them. Those African Americans who had the resources left the area for other parts of Los Angeles and in some instances for a return to the U.S. The gang violence and continuing poverty and isolation of Watts generated a shift in population. Four gangs, the Watts Cirkle City Piru Bloods, Grape Street Watts Crips, Bounty Hunter Watts Bloods, and PJ Watts Crips, were responsible for most of that violence. Between 19, the police reported more than 500 homicides in Watts, most of them gang-related and connected to the fight over control of the illegal drug market. It kept coming up whenever I would research the best places to see in LA. The riot caused an estimated $40 million in damage and 3,438 arrests.Īfter the riots, Watts suffered further as gangs grew more powerful and the level of violence rose. Watts Towers is one of those places I knew very little about before visiting. During the six day riot 34 people were killed and 1,032 injured. The Watts riots involved residents’ looting and vandalizing the area, attacks on the police, and arson. The latter led to the Watts Riots on Augfollowing an altercation between Marquette Frye, an African American motorist, and Lee Minikus, a white police officer who pulled him over for drunk driving. This economic and racial isolation generated resentment against insufficient hospitals and schools and frequent incidents of police brutality. Watts increasingly became an island of black poverty surrounded by middle class white suburbs. By the early 1960s, these projects had become largely dominated by African Americans, as whites moved to the surrounding suburbs which excluded black settlement. The city built new public housing projects to accommodate the increased population, most of which were located in Watts. World War II brought tens of thousands of black and white migrants from Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Texas. The African American population continued to grow after annexation and by World War II the community was inhabited mostly by middle class blacks. By 1920, 14% of Watts’ population was African American which at that time was the highest in California. The town was attractive to working class families and differed from other suburban communities in that it welcomed white, black, and Latino families. Originally part of the Rancho La Tajauta Mexican land grant, Watts was incorporated in 1903 and began to grow as a community in 1907, when the Watts Station was built and transportation within Watts became easier. 21.Watts, one of the most famous neighborhoods in Los Angeles, California, is located approximately seven miles southeast of downtown. No guarantee, warranty or representation of any kind is made regarding the completeness or accuracy of descriptions or measurements (including square footage measurements and property condition), such should be independently verified, and Compass expressly disclaims any liability in connection therewith. and/or other countries.Ĭorporate Responsibility, Privacy & Legal Notices: Compass is a licensed real estate broker, licensed to do business as Compass RE in Delaware, Idaho, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, Compass Real Estate in Washington, DC, Wyoming and Idaho, Compass Realty Group in Missouri and Kansas, and Compass South Carolina LLC in South Carolina. Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, Responsible Disclosure, Compass is an E-Verify employer, Notice for California Applicants, and California COVID-19 Rules of EntryĬOMPASS, the Compass logo, and other various trademarks, logos, designs, and slogans are the registered and unregistered trademarks of Compass, Inc.
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