1966

On August 30, 1966, due to a fatal shooting, residents rioted for six days. The riot was quelled after Governor George W. Romney

George W. Romney

George Wilcken Romney was an American businessman and Republican Party politician. He was chairman and CEO of American Motors Corporation from 1954 to 1962, the 43rd Governor of Michigan from 1963 to 1969, and the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 1969 to 1973...

 dispatched troops from the Michigan National Guard

Michigan National Guard

The Michigan National Guard consists of the Michigan Army National Guard and the Michigan Air National Guard.-Units:Michigan Army National Guard units include:* Joint Forces Headquarters, Lansing, MI* 177th Military Police Brigade, Taylor, MI...

.

2003

In June 2003, a small minority of the residents in Benton Harbor rioted for two days when black motorcyclist Terrance Shurn, being chased by a mixed-race police officer, crashed into a building and died. Five homes were set on fire, and about 300 state troopers and law enforcement personnel from neighboring communities came to Benton Harbor to stabilize the situation. Many saw the riots as a sign of frustration from the mostly black youth population.

Indirectly, the riot contributed to the Jimmy Carter Work Project being held in Benton Harbor and Detroit

Detroit, Michigan

Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...

in 2005.

External links

• Benton Harbor, A Plan for Positive Change: Final Report of the Governor’s Benton Harbor Task Force, Reverend James Atterberry and Greg Roberts, co-chairs, October 15, 2003