What major conclusion did the Kerner Report reach about 1960s race riots?

• A. Racism was embedded in American society.
• B. The riots were caused solely by economic hardship.
• C. They were primarily the fault of outsiders.
• D. They indicated progress toward equality.

Answer: (A)

The key idea the Kerner Report emphasizes is that racism is deeply woven into American society, not just a set of isolated incidents. The commission argued that the 1960s race riots were a manifestation of long-standing racial injustice and segregation in housing, schools, employment, policing, and political power. It warned that the United States was moving toward two separate, unequal societies—one white and one black—and that economic grievances could spark violence, but the deeper cause was persistent racism and exclusion.

So, the conclusion that racism was embedded in American society best captures what the report was saying. It wasn’t simply about money or blaming “outsiders,” and it did not describe the riots as progress toward equality.