The Riot Report featuring Dean Jelani Cobb

In the 1960s, a presidential commission defied expectations by telling a hard truth. The tumultuous summer of 1967 begged three questions: What happened? Why did it happen? And what could be done to prevent it from happening again?

American Experience PBS presents THE RIOT REPORT, co-produced and co-written by CJS Dean Jelani Cobb. The documentary premiers May 21 at 9/8c on your local PBS station. Hear what people are saying about the project: 

The Riot Report, Co-Produced and Co-Written by Jelani Cobb

Learn the story behind the documentary ahead of its May 21 premiere. 
Logo for The Riot Report
'The Riot Report' looks back on the violence in the U.S. during the summer of 1967

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Jelani Cobb about the race riots of 1967 and political unrest today.

Black and White photo from The Riot Report.
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: The Riot Report

Local station KPBS discusses the premiere of The Riot Report and the significance of the Kerner Commission. 

Photo from The Riot Report of a man holding a copy of the Kerner Commission Report.
Jelani Cobb on the Kerner Report, an Unheeded Warning About the Consequences of Racism

In 2021, Dean Jelani Cobb and David Remnick of The New Yorker discussed the findings in the Kerner Commission's report.

Photo of a burning building from The Riot Report
Reexamining 'The Riot Report'

On Cincinnati Edition, Dean Jelani Cobb discusses the work of the Kerner Commission, whether the recommendations were adopted and the legacy of the “Riot Report.”

Dean Jelani Cobb in The Riot Report.
New documentary at 2024 Freep Film Festival reexamines civil unrest in Detroit and other cities

This documentary about the Kerner Commission’s final report has been screened across the country this year.

President Lyndon B. Johnson black and white photo.
Bombshell Political Report So Shocking a U.S. President Tried to Pretend It Didn't Exist

Read an excerpt from  "Introduction" from THE ESSENTIAL KERNER COMMISSION REPORT by Jelani Cobb. 

“The simple fact is this: We are in the worst crisis we have known since the Civil War” – Television journalist in September 1967. 

Learn more about the documentary and where to watch.