Red Summer (1919)
The Red Summer refers to the race riots that occurred in more than three dozen cities in the United States during the summer and early autumn of 1919. In most instances, whites attacked African Americans. In some cases many blacks fought back, notably in Chicago, where, along with Washington, D.C. and Elaine, Arkansas, the greatest number of fatalities occurred.
The riots followed postwar social tensions related to the demobilization of veterans of World War I, both black and white, and competition for jobs among ethnic whites and blacks. The riots were extensively documented in the press, which along with the federal government conflated black movements with bolshevism.
Activist and author James Weldon Johnson, employed since 1916 by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) as a field secretary, coined the term "Red Summer." In 1919, he organized peaceful protests against the racial violence of that summer.
Full article...
American History USA Articles
- The Chicago Riots of 1919
The blacks swam on 25th street, the whites on 29th. Riots began with the inadvertent violation of that unspoken agreement, and 38 people were killed.
Books/Sources
- Red Summer: The Summer of 1919 and the Awakening of Black America - Cameron McWhirter
- Race Riot: Chicago in the Red Summer of 1919 (Blacks in the New World) - William M. Tuttle
