Chicago Race Riot of 1919

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Chicago Race Riot of 1919
Brandon S. Doty Seton Academy, IL Adventure of
the American Mind - Loyola University
From Library of Congress Chicago Daily News
negatives collection, DN-0003451. Courtesy of the
Chicago Historical Society. Image of a crowd of
African American men standing on the sidewalks in
front of a Walgreen Drugs at the corner of 35th
and South State Street in the Douglas community
area of Chicago, Illinois, during a race riot.
Police officers are standing at the forefront of
the crowd.
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I Tremble for my country when I reflect that God
is just that His justice cannot sleep
forever.Thomas Jefferson, 1782

• We hold these truths to be self-evident,
• that all men are created equal,
• that they are endowed by their creator
• with certain unalienable Rights,
• that among these are
• Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
• Declaration of Independence, 1776

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• Sunday, July 27, 1919
• Eugene Williams, 18, (Black) killed at Segregated
  29th Street Beach. Stoned and Drowned.
• Whites threw stones at Williams as he crossed
  the invisible line separating whites and blacks.
• George Stauber (White), is accused of being the
  rock thrower.
• Police Officer Daniel Callahan (White), refuses
  to arrest Stauber or allow help to reach
  Williams.
• Fights between Blacks and Whites break out.
• 2 other officers show up to arrest Stauber and
  get the wounded Callahan out of the beach.

The Catalyst
From A Political Atlas of the African Diaspora,
1900-1989 The Institute for Diasporic Studies,
Northwestern University http//www.diaspora.nort
hwestern.edu Caption People Leaving Chicago's
20 th Street Beach after the Drowning of Eugene
Williams
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I believe that there will ultimately be a clash
between the oppressed and those doing the
oppressing. I believe that there will be a
clash between those who want freedom, justice
and equality for everyone, and those who want to
continue the system of exploitation. Malcolm
X, 1961
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Large Crowd of African-Americans gathers at
Walgreen's to hear latest news of Riot
From Library of Congress Chicago Daily News
negatives collection, DN-0003451. Courtesy of the
Chicago Historical Society. Image of a crowd of
African American men standing on the sidewalks in
front of a Walgreen Drugs at the corner of 35th
and South State Street in the Douglas community
area of Chicago, Illinois, during a race riot.
Police officers are standing at the forefront of
the crowd.
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A Riot is the language of the unheardMartin
Luther King, Jr., 1963

• Can we all just get along?
• Rodney King, 1992
• During Los Angles Riots

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5 Chicago Police Officers and 1 Illinois
National Guard Member
From Library of Congress Chicago Daily News
negatives collection , DN-0003451. Courtesy of
the Chicago Historical Society.
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For the Next 7 Days the Riots Flared On and Off
Murder, Drive-by Shootings, Lynchings, Arson,
and General Destruction

• Sunday July 27, 1919
• Eugene Williams dead.
• George Stauber arrested.
• White and Black gangs rampage on South Side.
• Whites crossing into Black neighborhoods were
  attacked, same for Blacks crossing into white
  neighborhoods.

• Monday July 28, 1919
• White gangs attack black stockyard workers on
  their way home.
• Whites raid black neighborhoods and set fire to
  homes.
• Blacks seek revenge attack street cars and Whites
  homes.

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A White Gang Hunts for Negroes

• 20 People killed on Monday Night Rioting
• Tuesday, July 29, 1919
• - Riot Spreads north to the Loop and south to
  the Englewood Neighborhood
• (Mostly White in 1919)
• - Police regain control for short time, THEN. . .

From University of Illinois at Chicago - Gangs
and the 1919 Chicago Race Riot,
http//www.uic.edu/orgs/kbc/ganghistory/Industrial
20Era/Riotbegins.html Caption A White Gang
Hunts for Negroes
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White Men Stoning a Black Man to Death

• Wednesday, July 30, 1919
• Nightfall White gangs in cars drive south to
  Black neighborhoods and do the 1st Ever Drive-By
  Shootings.
• Most Drive-By Shooters Killed or Injured by
  Chicago Police.
• Police try to keep Whites and Blacks separate.
• 1030pm Mayor Thompson finally calls Gov. Lowden
  for National Guard Help.
• Riots subside with Army Presence.

From A Political Atlas of the African Diaspora,
1900-1989 The Institute for Diasporic Studies,
Northwestern University - White Men Stoning a
Black Man to Death Image from Race Riot
Chicago in the Red Summer of 1919' by William
Tuttle, Jr., Atheneum Press, NY, 1970
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Rescuing a Negro During the Race Riots in Chicago
From Rescuing a Negro During the Race Riots in
Chicago Outlook 8-20-1919 Originally from
Underwood and Underwood City University of New
York Newman Library Digital Collections
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The Weekend Comes

• Thursday July 31, 1919 and Friday August 1, 1919
• Rain began to fall on the city
• All is quiet . . . Or So it Seemed. . .
• Saturday August 2, 1919
• 948 Lithuanian immigrants left homeless
• 49 Homes burned down.
• Arson? Riot? Was there a Connection?

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The Costs
From Library of Congress Chicago Daily News
negatives collection , DN-0003451. Courtesy of
the Chicago Historical Society.
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From Library of Congress Chicago Daily News
negatives collection , DN-0003451. Courtesy of
the Chicago Historical Society.
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From Library of Congress Chicago Daily News
negatives collection , DN-0003451. Courtesy of
the Chicago Historical Society.
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From Library of Congress Chicago Daily News
negatives collection , DN-0003451. Courtesy of
the Chicago Historical Society.
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From Ohio Historical Society African-American
Experience in Ohio, 1850-1920 The Cleveland
Advocate, 8-16-1919
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The Numbers

• 38 People Killed
• - 23 Blacks
• 15 Whites
• 520 Injured
• - 342 Blacks
• - 178 Whites
• 100s Of Homes Destroyed

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Our Freedom of Speech is freedom or Death. We
got to Fight the powers that be.Lemme hear you
sayFight the Power. . .Cause Im Black and Im
Proud. Im ready and hyped and plus Im
amped.Most of my heroes dont appear on no
Stamps.Public Enemy, Fight the Power, 1989