1967 - The Watts Writers Workshop is Founded

On May 27, 1967, the Watts Writers Workshop was formally established in Los Angeles as a cultural response to the 1965 Watts Rebellion. Founded by Budd Schulberg and supported by Black poets and artists, the Workshop became a vital creative outlet for inner-city youth. It empowered Black writers to explore themes of identity, injustice, and liberation. The project nurtured talents like Quincy Troupe and Stanley Crouch, offering a platform for community storytelling through poetry, theater, and journalism. The May 27 founding date marks the moment when art became a form of resistance and rehabilitation. The Workshop influenced similar programs nationwide and proved that creative expression could foster healing, education, and activism in underserved communities. Though eventually destroyed by fire in the 1970s under mysterious circumstances, its legacy endures as a pioneering model of Black cultural empowerment.