Social History for Every Classroom

Search

Social History for Every Classroom

menuAmerican Social History Project  ·    Center for Media and Learning

A Black Family Leaves Their Home After the 1919 Chicago Race Riot

In July 1919, Chicago suffered a terrible race riot. An African-American teenager swimming in Lake Michigan floated into a "white" area and drowned after being stoned by a white crowd. Violence spread rapidly. Black Chicagoans, including World War I veterans, fought back. By the riot's end, 23 people had been killed and more than five hundred injured. Afterwards racial tension spread and black membership in Chicago unions declined. In this photo, a black family retrieves belongings from their home under police protection.

Source | Chicago Daily News, Inc. "Chicago Race Riot, African American men moving furniture," Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago History Museum. From Library of Congress.
Creator | Chicago Daily News, Inc.
Item Type | Photograph
Cite This document | Chicago Daily News, Inc., “A Black Family Leaves Their Home After the 1919 Chicago Race Riot,” SHEC: Resources for Teachers, accessed March 29, 2024, https://shec.ashp.cuny.edu/items/show/1076.

Print and Share