On June 11, 1967, Tampa was thrust into chaos as a race riot broke out following the fatal shooting of Martin Chambers, an unarmed Black teenager, by white police officer James Calvert.
The incident occurred in the Central Avenue area, a hub of Tampa’s Black community, when Calvert claimed he fired a warning shot but struck Chambers in the back. The killing ignited long-simmering tensions over racial injustice, sparking three days of unrest.
The riot, one of 159 across the U.S. that summer, saw over 100 arrests and caused approximately $2 million in damages to businesses and property in Tampa’s Black neighborhoods.
Protesters clashed with police, demanding justice for Chambers and an end to systemic discrimination. By June 15, the unrest subsided, but the city remained on edge, with heightened police presence during Chambers’ funeral on June 24.
The Tampa race riot highlighted deep racial divides and spurred calls for reform, leaving a lasting impact on the city’s history.
