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Essay on analytic narrative of the 1964 Harlem Riot

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Added on  2021-12-17

Essay on analytic narrative of the 1964 Harlem Riot

   Added on 2021-12-17

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Running head: The Harlem Riot of 1964 0
The Harlem Riot of 1964
STUDENTS NAME:
Essay on  analytic narrative of the 1964 Harlem Riot_1
The Harlem Riot of 1964 1
Introduction
This is an analytic narrative of the 1964 Harlem Riot. This essay will aim to provide a
detailed summery of the entire scenario. Racism was very significant in the 1960s America
and this essay will showcase that in a detailed manner. Racism and ill treatment of the
minority communities mostly blacks by the common whites as well as government officials
led to severe riots at that time.
Slavery of black people by the whites is a major fact and practice in the history of America
but post World War 2 after the passing of the Civil rights Association the blacks got educated
about the fact that all practices directly and/or indirectly associated with inequality of any sort
is a criminal offence and its practice might lead to major consequences.
This education made them raise their voices against any sort of inequality practiced against
the blacks or minorities that lead to this major riot. Police brutality was very significant and
was witnessed in an alarming following these riots. Police brutality associated with the
Harlem riot as a result of protesting against the misuse of powers by the NYPD officials will
be focused on majorly in this particular paper.
Many people fought for a long time for establishment of Civilian Review board for the
examination of police activities to ensure that brutality is minimised and they the officials do
not conduct any activity to misuse their powers. All about this fight will also be portrayed
here.
Essay on  analytic narrative of the 1964 Harlem Riot_2
The Harlem Riot of 1964 2
The Harlem Riot of 1964
In the year 1964 on the morning of July 16th a group of African- American summer school
students had gathered on East Seventy- Sixth Street, across from Robert F. Wagner Jr. High
School.
Lieutenant Thomas Gilligan from his apartment building made racist comments and kept
spraying children with water hose after which the school students started to throw soda
bottles and garbage can lids on him.
As soon as he came to the children a teenager named James Powell pursued him as a counter
to which Gilligan shot him with a gun. The exact incident is still unclear some people who
were mostly white adults admitted that Powell had a knife with him but black tanagers
refused to this fact which makes the incident more unclear.
CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) and NAACP (National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People) called for an investigation and called for protests post the
event. The crowd demanded suspension and arrest of Gilligan. The violent behaviour of the
police was highly displayed in this event.
The rioters started fires conducted loots and fought violently with the police. The havoc
resulted in 465 arrests, one death and over 100 injuries. NYPD (New York City
Police Department) avoided using fire hoses, tear gas and other tactics but CORE and
NAACP was upset with the fact that warning shots and aggressiveness was used up to an
extreme level by the police which signified extreme police brutality in this particular riot.
Following the tremendous havoc CORE leader James Farmer called July 18 “New York’s
night of Birmingham horror”.
Essay on  analytic narrative of the 1964 Harlem Riot_3

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