Which U.S. commission linked urban unrest to racial inequality in its 1968 report?

The U.S. commission that linked urban unrest to racial inequality in its 1968 report was the Kerner Commission.

President Lyndon B. Johnson created the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders in July 1967 after major disturbances in cities including Detroit and Newark. Illinois governor Otto Kerner Jr. chaired the commission, which became commonly known by his name.

Its report, released in February 1968, concluded that the United States was moving toward “two societies, one black, one white—separate and unequal.” The commission identified housing discrimination, unemployment, poor education, policing, and unequal economic opportunity as major causes of unrest.

The report recommended large-scale investment in jobs, housing, education, and urban services. It is often confused with the Warren Commission, which investigated President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. The Kerner Commission instead examined the causes of racial disorders and the country’s broader racial divisions.