The Glenville shootout was a gun battle which occurred on the night of July 23, 1968, in the Glenville section of Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States. During the mid-1960s, Cleveland, Ohio was the scene of numerous civil disturbances which were racially motivated.

On July 23, 2968, police officers and several African Americans confronted each other in the Glenville neighborhood of Cleveland, which is located on the east side of the city. Violence between the two groups lasted for nearly an hour. At the end of the riot, four African Americans and three police officers were dead. After the incident, 48 hours of beatings, looting, arson fires, and other violent acts took place.

African American throughout Cleveland had grown tired of their needs not being met by the city, state, and federal governments. They wanted equal rights and to live their with being harrassed and mistreated. After the riots, what was left of the community began to decline even more. Most whites and those who could afford to leave the east side relocated. East side communities declined and there were little to no opportunities for those still in the area. During this time, other major cities across the country began to face their own disturbances.

sources:

http://www.clevelandmemory.org/gville/index.html