African American History, Events

Revisit: CROWN HEIGHTS (BROOKLYN) NEW YORK RIOT

On August 19, 1991, two African American cousins named Gavin and Angela Cato were playing in the streets of Brooklyn, New York.  As Gavin went to adjust his bike lock, an Orthodox Jewish driver named Yosefl Lifsch, who was part of a motorcade for notable Rabbi Menachen M. Schneerson, swerved onto the sidewalk. Lifsch struck the cousins, killing Gavin, and seriously injuring Angela. Although it was later debunked, rumors spread that Lifsch was drunk, and that the death was deliberate. Continue reading Revisit: CROWN HEIGHTS (BROOKLYN) NEW YORK RIOT

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African American History, Events

THE CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA RACE RIOT (1917)

The 1917 Race Riot in Chester, Pennsylvania, began July 24, 1917, and continued until July 30, 1917.  It is considered unique from many other race riots of World War I and the interwar period because there were no accusations of police brutality, and city officials and police made strenuous efforts to prevent the lynching of blacks rather than participating in or ignoring the violence.  Chester’s mayor, Wesley S. McDowell, was ridiculed in the press for treating black and white rioters equally and received death from whites who wanted to “run the Negroes out of town.” Continue reading THE CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA RACE RIOT (1917)

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African American History, Events

Revisit: THE NEW YORK CITY RACE RIOT

The 1900 New York City, New York Race Riot began following an incident between Arthur J. Harris, a black man, and a white undercover police officer, Robert J. Thorpe, outside the apartment of Harris and his girlfriend May Enoch in the Tenderloin section of New York City.  At 2:00 a.m. on August 13, Harris witnessed Thorpe grabbing Enoch, whom Thorpe believed to be a prostitute soliciting customers.  Harris, not knowing that Thorpe was a police officer, attacked Thorpe and cut him with a knife.  Both Harris and Enoch fled the scene.  Harris left for his mother’s home in Washington D.C.and Enoch ran into her apartment where she was later arrested.   Thorpe, who was also the son in-law of Acting Captain John Cooney of the local Twentieth Police Precinct, was taken to Roosevelt Hospital where he died the next day. Continue reading Revisit: THE NEW YORK CITY RACE RIOT

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