Twentieth-century events Mass racial violence in the United States

political cartoon east st. louis massacres of 1917. caption reads, mr. president, why not make america safe democracy?



soldiers of 101st airborne division safeguard black children on way school in little rock, during protest actions.



the buildings burning during watts riot



the police make arrests during protest actions.



patrol of national guard after riots in los angeles in 1992

labor , immigrant conflict source of tensions catalyzed east st. louis riot of 1917. white rioters, many of them ethnic immigrants, killed estimated 100 black residents of east st. louis, after black residents had killed 2 white policemen, mistaking car riding in previous car of white occupants drove through black neighborhood , fired randomly crowd of black people .

a white gang looking blacks during chicago race riot of 1919

white-on-black race riots include atlanta riots (1906), omaha , chicago riots (1919), part of series of riots in volatile post-world war environment, , tulsa riots (1921).

the chicago race riot of 1919 grew out of tensions on southside, irish descendants , african americans competed jobs @ stockyards, , both crowded substandard housing. irish descendants had been in city longer, , organized around athletic , political clubs.

buildings burning during tulsa race riot of 1921

a young black chicagoan, eugene williams, paddled raft near southside lake michigan beach white territory , , drowned after being hit rock thrown young white man. witnesses pointed out killer policeman, refused make arrest. indignant black mob attacked officer. violence broke out across city. white mobs, many of them organized around irish athletic clubs, began pulling black people off trolley cars, attacking black businesses, , beating victims. having learned east st. louis riot, city closed down street car system, rioting continued. total of 23 black people , 15 white people killed.

the 1921 tulsa race riot result of economic competition, , white resentment of black successes in greenwood, compared wall street , filled independent businesses. in immediate event, black people resisted white people tried lynch 19-year-old dick rowland, worked @ shoeshines. thirty-nine people (26 black, 13 white) confirmed killed. 21st century investigation of these events has suggested number of casualties higher. white mobs set fire black greenwood district, destroying 1,256 homes , many 200 businesses. fires leveled 35 blocks of residential , commercial neighborhood. black people rounded oklahoma national guard , put several internment centers, including baseball stadium. white rioters in airplanes shot @ black refugees , dropped improvised kerosene bombs , dynamite on them.

by 1960s, decades of racial, economic, , political forces, generated inner city poverty, resulted in race riots within minority areas in cities across united states. beating , rumored death of cab driver john smith police, sparked 1967 newark riots. event became, per capita, 1 of deadliest civil disturbances of 1960s. long , short term causes of newark riots explored in depth in documentary film revolution 67 , many news reports of times. riots in newark spread across united states in major cities , on 100 deaths reported. many inner city neighborhoods in these cities destroyed. assassinations of rev. martin luther king, jr. in memphis, tennessee , later of robert kennedy in los angeles in 1968 led nationwide rioting across country similar mass deaths. during same time period, , since then, violent acts committed against african-american churches , members have been commonplace.

during 1980s , 90s number of riots occurred related longstanding racial tensions between police , minority communities. 1980 miami riots catalyzed killing of african-american motorist 4 white miami-dade police officers. subsequently acquitted on charges of manslaughter , evidence tampering. similarly, six-day 1992 los angeles riots erupted after acquittal of 4 white lapd officers had been filmed beating rodney king, african-american motorist. khalil gibran muhammad, director of harlem-based schomburg center research in black culture has identified more 100 instances of mass racial violence in united states since 1935 , has noted every instance precipitated police incident.