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| East St. Louis massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of the nadir of American race relations | |
 1917 political cartoon on the massacre. The caption reads, "Mr. President, why not make America safe for democracy?", referring to President Woodrow Wilson's catch-phrase "The world must be made safe for democracy". | |
| Date | May 28 and July 1–3, 1917 |
| Location | 38°37′20″N 90°09′30″W / 38.62222°N 90.15833°W |
| Caused by | White mobs angered by the increasing numbers of Southern African-Americans working at East St. Louis plants |
| Methods | African Americans beaten to death, shot, lynched, and driven into burning buildings by whites |
| Casualties | |
| Death(s) | 39–150 Black Americans, 9 white Americans[1] |
The East St. Louis massacre was a series of violent attacks on African Americans by white Americans in East St. Louis, Illinois, between late May and early July of 1917. These attacks also displaced 6,000 African Americans and led to the destruction of approximately $400,000 ($9.51 million in 2023) worth of property.[1] They occurred in East St. Louis, an industrial city on the east bank of the Mississippi River, directly opposite the city of St. Louis, Missouri. The July 1917 episode in particular was marked by white-led violence throughout the city. The multi-day rioting has been described as the "worst case of labor-related violence in 20th-century American history",[2] and among the worst racial riots in U.S. history.
In the aftermath, the East St. Louis Chamber of Commerce called for the resignation of the local police chief because officers were told not to shoot white rioters and were unable to suppress the violence and destruction. A number of black people left the city permanently; black enrollment in public schools in the area had dropped by 35% by the time schools opened in the fall.[3] At the end of July, some 10,000 black citizens marched in silent protest in New York City in condemnation of the riot.[4]
- ^ a b "The Negro Silent Protest Parade organized by the NAACP Fifth Ave., New York City July 28, 1917" (PDF). National Humanities Center, Research Triangle Park, NC. National Humanities Center. 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
- ^ Fitch, Solidarity for Sale, 2006, p. 120.
- ^ Post-Dispatch, Tim O’Neil St Louis. "Race hatred, workforce tensions explode in East St. Louis in 1917". STLtoday.com. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ "Silent Protest Parade Centennial". NAACP. Archived from the original on August 10, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2023.