The Newark Riots began 50 years ago today - here's why they still matter

Fifty years ago, the city of Newark, New Jersey experienced a string of violent riots after two white police officers stopped and beat up a black taxi driver on July 12 in a community that had suffered decades of social frustration caused by poverty and racial profiling.

While more than half a century has passed, many of the issues at the heart of the protests continue to divide the country today.

Here's how the riots started, how the police responded, and how it set the stage for the future police brutality protests.