Civil Disturbance After an Incident at the Blue Heron Bar in Riviera Beach

Civil Disturbance After an Incident at the Blue Heron Bar in Riviera Beach

Civil Disturbance

On July 30, 1967, a confrontation between police and two African American men at a popular night spot in Riviera Beach escalated to a full-scale riot. The riot lasted through the night, and a local lumber company was set ablaze. Local leaders called popular entertainment venues like the Blue Heron a “public nuisance” and attempted to shut them down throughout the 1960s and 1970s. A quote from a nightclub manager in the 1977 Palm Beach Post highlighted the difficulty of their task. “If you close (the Blue Heron),” he said, “you’re going to have to go right down the block and close the next club and the next club.” Small local venues like the Blue Heron were popular stops on the Circuit.

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http://floridamemory.com/items/show/252951

State Archives of Florida

July 30, 1967

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Riviera Beach, Florida