Race riots?
What were those?
Not one of the prouder moments in naval history - there were serious incidents on both the KITTY HAWK and CONSTELLATION back in 1972.
"Immediately following air operations aboard the Kitty Hawk on the evening of October 12, 1972, a series of incidents broke out wherein group of blacks, armed with chains, wrenches, bars, broomsticks and other dangerous weapons, went marauding through sections of the ship disobeying orders to cease, terrorizing the crew, and seeking out white personnel for senseless beating with fists and with weapons which resulted in extremely serious injury to three men and the medical treatment of many more, including some blacks. While engaged in this conduct some were heard to shout, "Kill the son-of-a-bitch; kill the white trash; wipe him out!" Others shouted, "They are killing our brothers."
Aboard the U.S.S. Constellation, during the period of November 3-4, 1972, what has been charitably described as "unrest" and as "sit-in" took place while the ship was underway for training exercises. The vast majority of the dissident sailors were black and were allegedly protesting several grievances they claimed were in need of correction.
These sailors were off-loaded as part of a "beach detachment", given liberty, refused to return to the ship, and were later processed only for this minor disciplinary infraction (6 hours of unauthorized absence) at Naval Air Station, North Island, near San Diego.
Because of inherent seriousness of these incidents, the Honorable F. Edward Hébert, chairman, House Armed Service Committee, considered it necessary to appoint this special subcommittee on November 13, 1972, to inquire at once into disciplinary problems in the U.S. Navy with particular reference to "alleged racial and disciplinary problems which occurred recently on the aircraft carriers U.S.S. Kitty Hawk and U.S.S. Constellation."
A good summary of the incidents can be found here:
http://www.history.navy.mil/library/special/racial_incidents.htm
