| Cairo, Illinois, racial unrest | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 1967–1973 | |||
| Location | Cairo, Illinois, United States | |||
| Caused by | Segregation, poverty, unemployment | |||
| Methods | Rioting, arson, sniping, picketing, boycott | |||
| Resulted in | White flight, followed by general depopulation of Cairo | |||
| Parties | ||||
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| Casualties | ||||
| Death(s) | 4[1] | |||
From 1967 to 1973, an extended period of racial unrest occurred in the town of Cairo, Illinois. The city had long had racial tensions which boiled over after a black soldier was found hanged in his jail cell. Over the next several years, fire bombings, racially charged boycotts and shootouts were common place in Cairo, with 170 nights of gunfire reported in 1969 alone.[1][2]
The unrest was a factor in the depopulation and overall decline of Cairo.