War and Inter-War period: 1914–1945 Mass racial violence in the United States

1917: east st. louis, illinois


on july 1st, african-american man rumored have killed white man. violence against african-american continued week, resulting in estimations of 40 200 dead african-americans. in addition, 6,000 african-americans lost homes during riots fled east st. louis.


1917: chester, pennsylvania
1917: philadelphia, pennsylvania
1917: houston, texas


red summer of 1919


tension in summer of 1919 stemmed white soldiers returning world war , finding jobs had been taken african americans had migrated north.

1919: washington, d.c.
1919: chicago, illinois
1919: omaha, nebraska
1919: charleston, south carolina
1919: longview, texas
1919: knoxville, tennessee
1919: elaine, arkansas




1920: ocoee, florida
1920: west frankfort, illinois
1921: tulsa, oklahoma


between may 31st , june 1st, young white woman accused african american man of grabbing arm in elevator. man dick rowland arrested , police launched investigation. mob of armed white men gathered outside tulsa county courthouse, gunfire ensued. during violence, 1,250 homes destroyed , 6,000 african-americans imprisoned after oklahoma national guard called in. state of oklahoma reports twenty-six african-americans died along 10 whites.


1923: rosewood, florida (area outgrowth of cedar key, florida)
1927: little rock, arkansas


lynching of john carter, suspect in murder, followed rioting 5,000 whites in city, destroyed black business area


1927 poughkeepsie, new york


a wave of civil unrest, violence, , vandalism local white mobs against blacks, greek, jewish, chinese , puerto rican targets in community.


1930: watsonville, california
1935: harlem, manhattan, new york
1943: detroit, michigain


in late june fistfight broke out between african-american man , white man @ amusement park named belle isle. violence escalated there , led 3 days of intense fighting, in 6,000 united states army troops brought in. resulted in twenty-five african-americans dying, along 9 white deaths , total of 7 hundred injured persons.


1943: harlem, manhattan, new york
1943: los angeles, california
1944: guam




^ cite error: named reference auto3 invoked never defined (see page).
^ brian d. greer, john carter (lynching of) , encyclopedia of arkansas history , culture, 2013