Final answer:
The short-term causes of the Watts Riot involved specific incidents of racial injustice, such as police violence. The long-term causes were rooted in systemic issues, including lack of healthcare, job opportunities, and safe housing, as well as general disillusionment with inadequate government action and discriminatory practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
Short-Term and Long-Term Causes of the Watts Riot
The Watts Riots were a series of urban disturbances that took place in the mid-1960s. The short-term causes of the riots included incidents like the shooting of a fifteen-year-old boy by an off-duty police officer in Harlem and the Watts Riots themselves, which were sparked by a traffic stop that escalated into violence. Additionally, the destruction of thousands of businesses and the loss of lives, most of whom were African Americans killed by the police and the National Guard, contributed to the immediate unrest.
The long-term causes highlighted the systemic issues faced by African American communities. Despite the efforts of the Great Society programs, essential needs such as good healthcare, job opportunities, and safe housing were severely lacking. Discrimination, though less overt in the North and West, remained devastatingly effective in perpetuating inequality. This situation led to a deep-seated frustration and anger among African Americans, who felt marginalized and disillusioned with the federal government's inability to alleviate their suffering.
A brewing sense of disillusionment meant that many African Americans turned to more radical leaders and ideologies to obtain equality and justice, marking a shift in the civil rights movement towards a call for Black Power. These riots were not just expressions of random violence; they were targeted at symbols of oppression, such as businesses that refused to hire black workers and the properties of exploitative landlords.