Harlem Riot of 1943
Encyclopedia
The Harlem Riot of 1943 took place in the borough of Harlem
on August 1, after an African American
soldier was shot and wounded by a white New York policeman
.
at the Braddock Hotel in Harlem. Robert Bandy, a black soldier in the U.S. Army, tried to stop the police officer striking the woman again. The situation rapidly escalated; the police officer drew his service revolver and shot Bandy in the shoulder.
While Bandy was being brought to a nearby hospital, a crowd quickly gathered. An onlooker shouted that an African American soldier had been killed, provoking a riot.
New York Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia ordered that a force of 6,600 city police, military police and civil patrol men enter Harlem and restore order. In addition 8,000 State Guardsmen and 1,500 civilian volunteers were posted around the borough to contain the rioters. Order was finally restored on August 3. The mayor then had food delivered to the residents of Harlem, which helped appease the matters.
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
on August 1, after an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
soldier was shot and wounded by a white New York policeman
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
.
Cause
On August 1, 1943, an NYPD policeman hit an African American woman who was being arrested for disturbing the peaceDisturbing the Peace
Disturbing the Peace is the second studio album by Alcatrazz, and is the only one featuring Steve Vai on guitar. One of the singles, God Blessed Video, can be found on the fictional radio station, V-Rock, on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Weeks on Chart: 7, Peak: #133...
at the Braddock Hotel in Harlem. Robert Bandy, a black soldier in the U.S. Army, tried to stop the police officer striking the woman again. The situation rapidly escalated; the police officer drew his service revolver and shot Bandy in the shoulder.
While Bandy was being brought to a nearby hospital, a crowd quickly gathered. An onlooker shouted that an African American soldier had been killed, provoking a riot.
Riot
The rioters, mostly black, destroyed property throughout Harlem. As most of the businesses in the borough were under white ownership, many shops were looted.New York Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia ordered that a force of 6,600 city police, military police and civil patrol men enter Harlem and restore order. In addition 8,000 State Guardsmen and 1,500 civilian volunteers were posted around the borough to contain the rioters. Order was finally restored on August 3. The mayor then had food delivered to the residents of Harlem, which helped appease the matters.
Aftermath
Hundreds of businesses were destroyed and looted, the property damage approaching $5,000,000. Overall, six people died and nearly 400 were injured. Five hundred men and women were arrested in connection with the riot.See also
- Harlem Riot of 1935Harlem Riot of 1935The Harlem Riot of 1935 was Harlem's first race riot, sparked off by rumors of the beating of a teenage shoplifter. Three died, hundreds were wounded and an estimated $2 million in damages were sustained to properties throughout the district, with African-American owned homes and businesses spared...
, trouble that began after rumors circulated that a young child had been severely beaten by a shopkeeper. - Harlem Riot of 1964, six days of civil disorder that occurred after an African American teenager was shot and killed by an NYPD lieutenant.