The first chapter of America on Fire is titled “The Cycle,” referring to a major recurring theme throughout the book: how acts of repression by law enforcement instigate a violent response from the people, which then leads to more draconian police aggression, which then leads to more violent rebellion. Using dozens of examples from the 1960s to the present, Hinton demonstrates that throughout America’s history, any attempts from Black communities to improve their situation or demand greater equality have been met with violent repression by an increasingly militarized police force, resulting in an escalation of conflict rather than a return to peace and order.

Hinton argues that while violent rebellions often get blamed on Black Americans, the cycle of violence actually begins with the police, whose mere presence in Black neighborhoods is often seen as inherently invasive and oppressive. In her case studies, Hinton asserts that law enforcement in Black neighborhoods often acted more aggressively than they did in white neighborhoods, intervening even in innocent activities like football games and using disrespectful language with Black residents. When one Black protester was asked why he was throwing rocks and bottles at policemen, he responded, “Why do police hit people on the heads with their clubs?” (27).