The city of Riverside, California has a long-celebrated history of the Ku Klux Klan and white supremacy that dates to the early 1900s, with the film premiere of Birth of a Nation. The film served as a recruiting tool for the resurgence of the new Ku Klux Klan. This resurgence was due to a socioeconomic cultural shift from rural southern towns to middle class suburban American cities. This new clan did not hide behind white cloaks but wore doctor coats, business suits, and badges that enabled them to blend in society as status quo white Americans. Klansmen took on the image as middle-class white men looking to influence local and state governments. “They relied on fraternal lodges and Protestant churches for support, and often struggled against elites for civic control” (Hudson 2020, p. 173). Riverside served as a perfect safe economic haven for this new emerging Klan. Riverside is the birthplace of the citrus industry while also fostering one of the most active chapters of the Ku Klux Klan in the state. In the 1920’s “The Riverside Klan had twice as many members as the better-known Anaheim Klan” (Hudson 2020, p. 187). Influencing local politics and a promise of strengthening law enforcement. “In 1927, Riverside elected a Klan backed Mayor, Edward Dighton” (Esparza & Moses, 1996). Violent racial relations between African Americans and Caucasians in Riverside continued throughout the 1930’s. At Lincoln Park in 1941, a softball game ended in a near riot between white soldiers and African American soldiers. “In the months afterwards, African Americans became targets of unprovoked attacks, whether walking the streets of downtown or elsewhere” (City of Riverside African American Civil Rights Historic Context Statement, August 2022. P. 19). The only high school in the city was a known recruiting ground for the Klan. One of their most flamboyant recruiting events took place at Riverside Poly High. The event had between 4,000 to 15,000 in attendance at the football stadium where 217 new members were inducted into the Ku Klux Klan. “A fiery cross was pulled across the sky by a small airplane just as dusk settled over the high school” (Hudson 2020, p. 183). The Klan was not hiding in Riverside, and they wanted it to be known. Witnesses to the event described the showmanship as a pageantry, and one of the greatest crowds ever seen in Riverside. “An advertisement for the parade claimed that the members of the Riverside Klan were of the highest standing…ministers, doctors, lawyers, bankers, merchants, former service men- in fact Real Men from every walk of life” (Hudson 2020, p. 185). The Ku Klux Klan was known for bombings and for making threats of bombings. Ray Wolfe, a reporter for The Riverside Press-Enterprise was threatened that his office would be bombed if he printed a story about the Ku Klux Klan after they stormed into a local African American church. For the intention of intimidation during church service, Klansman walked down to the front of the church then walked out.

Racially restrictive housing covenants- Irving School was built on the corner of Victoria and 14^th street in 1891. It was integrated as Anglos were the majority population in Riverside, California. African Americans began settling in the city’s Eastside neighborhood of Riverside by 1900. In the area north of University Avenue (8^th street). African Americans faced unofficial discrimination and segregation in the city. In 1907 the Riverside City Charter became the Riverside City School District accepted de facto segregated neighborhood schools. Lowell School opened in 1911 south of 14^th street to serve the white community. Because of racial tensions and the fear of rising race riots in Riverside, California, restrictive racial housing covenants began spreading in the city. By 1917, zoning and racially restrictive covenants restricted the future sale of property to African Americans. The Victoria Association and The Castlemont Tract (Wood Streets) were known covenants in the city. Agreements were made between homeowners and buyers, real estate agents and neighbors to continue segregated neighborhoods. By the late 1940’s the Eastside was rezoned from single family residences to multi-family units. White flight occurred as more African Americans began moving further north on 8^th Street (University Ave) between 8^th and Blaine and south of 14^th street. Restrictive racial housing covenants remained throughout the mid 1950’s as more than 210 new housing subdivisions were constructed in the city. “By 1952, at least half of the houses in Riverside contained racial restrictions, limiting their sale to Caucasians” (Storymaps). In 1956 the Riverside Daily Press wrote “Riverside neighborhoods were closely fenced in by “Gentlemen’s Agreements’ that aim to keep people of color out of primarily Anglo neighborhoods” (Riverside Daily Press, 1956). Because of racially restricted neighborhoods, the schools in those neighborhoods were also racially segregated. By the 1950’s African American and Latino students made up majority of the student bodies of both Irving and Lowell school. White parents were angry at the growing number of minority students. In 1960 the minority population of Lowell jumped to 90%. The Superintendent recommended open enrollment instead of integration in 1961. In 1965 parents meet with RUSD to petition for integration holding a drive. That September a week before school began Lowell School was mysteriously burned down by an arsonist or angry parents.

Destabilizing the community– In 1971, social and cultural capital was practiced amongst the African American community in the Eastside of Riverside in the form of social groups and religious groups. Reverend John H. (Shabazz) Morris ran the Shabazz Market and Muhammad’s Mosque on Park Avenue. “He oversaw a group of Black Panther Party (BPP) members from San Diego at Riverside People’s Center nearby (4046 Dwight Ave.), who operated a Free Breakfast Program for children and distributed a weekly BPP newspaper” (Storymaps). Out of fear of the reputation of violence from the Black Panthers, the Riverside Police Department raided their house on Dwight Ave. “On the night of April 2, 1971, Police Officer Leonard A. Christiansen and his partner Paul C. Teel responded to a burglary call. As their vehicle pulled into the driveway, hot bullets exploding from steel barrels shot out from the darkness” (Kira Roybal, Staff writer). The two officers passed away after they were ambushed while on duty in Riverside, California, United States. Police believed that the work was carried out by three Black militants. Black Civil Rights leader Gary Lawton, Nehemiah Jackson, and Larrie Gardner, were tried three times for the murders, but were never convicted. Because of this crime, any African American male in this community that is suspected of being a Black militant of Black Nationalist is subjected to police investigation, questioning, and harassment. Following this horrific crime the Riverside Police Department has racially profiled the entire African American community that makes up the Eastside of Riverside.

The African American community that makes up the Eastside of Riverside has been falsely labeled as people who hate the police enough to murder. Which is not true. As a result, this community is patrolled by law enforcement agencies more than any other area of the city. This community is underfunded due to a lack of economic opportunities and resources. The disenfranchisement of this community has attributed to the high numbers of poverty, crime, low income, low graduation rates, food disparities, drug addictions, and mental health issues due to the systemic racism this community has undergone.