Harlem riot of 1943 facts for kids

In August 1943, a period of unrest happened in Harlem, New York City. This event took place on August 1 and 2. It started after a white police officer, James Collins, shot and injured Robert Bandy, an African American soldier. False rumors quickly spread that the soldier had died.

During this time, people expressed their anger by damaging stores in Harlem. This event was one of five similar incidents across the United States that year. These events were linked to tensions between Black and white communities during World War II. Other incidents happened in Detroit, Beaumont, Texas, Mobile, Alabama, and Los Angeles. In Harlem, five people died, and about 400 others were injured.

What Started the Unrest?

On Sunday, August 1, 1943, a white policeman tried to arrest an African-American woman. Her name was Marjorie (Margie) Polite. This happened in the lobby of the Braddock Hotel. The police were often present at the hotel to prevent trouble.

An Incident at the Braddock Hotel

Margie Polite became upset with Officer James Collins. One story says she was unhappy with her hotel room. She asked for a refund and a tip back, then protested loudly. Another story says she was acting disorderly and argued with the officer as she tried to leave.

Officer Collins told Polite to leave. When she continued to argue, he arrested her for disturbing the peace. Florine Roberts, the mother of Robert Bandy, a Black soldier, saw this. She asked for Polite to be released.

The Shooting and Spreading Rumors

Police reports stated that the soldier, Robert Bandy, threatened Officer Collins. The report also said Bandy and Mrs. Roberts then struggled with Collins. Bandy hit the officer. As Bandy tried to get away, Collins shot him in the shoulder with his revolver.

Bandy later said he stepped in when the officer pushed Polite. He claimed Collins threw his nightstick at him. When Bandy hesitated to return it, Collins shot him. Bandy's injury was not serious, but he went to Sydenham Hospital for treatment.

Crowds quickly gathered around the hospital and the hotel. By 9:00 p.m., about 3,000 people were at police headquarters. The crowds grew tense. Rumors that an African-American soldier had been shot soon changed to rumors that he had been killed.

The Unrest Spreads

At 10:30 p.m., the crowd became violent. Someone threw a bottle from a roof into the crowd near the hospital. The large crowd then broke into smaller groups of 50 to 100 people.

Damage to Stores and Property

These groups began to break windows of businesses as they moved through Harlem. If people were told a business was owned by Black individuals, they usually left it alone. If it was owned by white individuals, the store was damaged, and items were taken.

People broke streetlights and threw white mannequins onto the ground. From grocery stores, they took items that were hard to find during the war. These included coffee, sugar, and clothing. Furniture stores were also damaged. The total cost of the damage was estimated to be between $250,000 and $5,000,000. This included 1,485 stores that were broken into and 4,495 broken windows.

Efforts to Restore Order

Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia learned about the situation at 9:00 p.m. He met with police and visited the affected areas. He was joined by Black community leaders like Max Yergan and Hope Stevens. The Mayor called for more police to help.

About 6,000 city and military police were already there. Another 1,500 volunteers were called to help control the situation. An additional 8,000 guardsmen were ready to assist if needed. Traffic was rerouted around Harlem to keep the unrest contained. After 2:00 a.m., the mayor ordered all taverns to close.

At 3:00 a.m., Mayor La Guardia made radio announcements. He urged residents to go home. Max Yergan and Ferdinand Smith, both Black residents of Harlem, also spoke on the radio. They asked people to "please get off the streets, go home and go to bed." The mayor then met with Walter Francis White of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. White suggested that Black leaders should visit the area again to encourage calm.

After the Unrest: Cleanup and Recovery

The unrest ended on the night of August 2. Cleanup efforts began right away. The New York City Department of Sanitation worked for three days to clean the area. The New York City Departments of Buildings and Housing boarded up broken windows.

The city provided police escorts for all department workers. The Red Cross offered lemonade and crullers to people in Harlem. The mayor arranged for hospitals to handle the many injured patients. By August 4, traffic was back to normal in the area. Taverns reopened the next day. Mayor La Guardia also made sure food was delivered to Harlem residents. By August 6, food supplies were back to normal levels. In total, six people died, and nearly 700 were injured. Six hundred people were arrested because of the unrest.

Why Did This Happen? Looking at the Causes

Many people wondered why the unrest happened. Experts pointed to a big difference between America's promises of freedom and the reality for Black citizens. This was true in both the North and the South.

Unfair Treatment and Inequality

For example, Black soldiers were kept separate in the armed forces. This happened even as the United States fought for "freedom" around the world. Charles Lawrence, a professor, said that anger about how Black soldiers were treated was a major reason for the Harlem unrest. Robert Bandy, the injured soldier, became a symbol for Black soldiers. Officer Collins represented unfair treatment by white authorities.

When President Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke about the Four Freedoms, he talked about freedom of speech, worship, from want, and from fear for everyone. Many African Americans felt they did not have these freedoms themselves. They became determined to fight for them at home.

Black residents in Harlem often felt like "second-class citizens." Many Black soldiers also came from the South. There, unfair Jim Crow laws kept Black people from having equal rights. Most could not even vote.

Lessons from the Past: The 1935 Report

After similar unrest in Harlem in 1935, Mayor La Guardia asked for a study. He wanted to find out the main reasons for the problems. Historian E. Franklin Frazier led this study. He wrote that "economic and social forces" created strong feelings of tension. These feelings could easily lead to outbursts.

The report listed several problems affecting Black communities. These included unfairness in jobs and city services, crowded housing, and unfair treatment by police. The report helped show the deep-seated issues that contributed to the unrest.

The Impact of World War II

By 1943, some things had improved for Black Harlemites, like more jobs in city services. However, economic problems got worse during World War II. New industries still treated Black workers unfairly.

New housing projects like the Harlem River Houses were planned. But by 1943, housing in Harlem had gotten worse overall. New construction slowed down because of the war. Old buildings were torn down but not replaced quickly. Even though conditions for African Americans improved in some ways, individuals still faced many challenges.

How Artists and Writers Remembered the Event

Many authors and artists created works about the 1943 Harlem unrest. They wanted to share its story and meaning.

William Johnson depicted the unrest in his c. 1943–1944 painting Moon Over Harlem.

African-American writer James Baldwin wrote about the event in his book Notes of a Native Son. The unrest happened on his 19th birthday and the day of his father's funeral. He felt it was a powerful and sad way to mark his father's passing. Poet Langston Hughes wrote "The Ballad of Margie Polite," a poem about the unrest. It was published in the New York Amsterdam News. The poem seemed to honor Margie Polite for her role in starting the events.

Ralph Ellison was a reporter covering the unrest for the New York Post. His experiences inspired a key part of his famous novel Invisible Man. This book won the 1953 National Book Award.

Artist William Johnson used news images to create his painting Moon Over Harlem around 1943–1944. The painting shows the community's struggles and anger. It features an upside-down African American woman with three officers. This image represents the challenges faced by the community.

See also

• Beaumont race riot of 1943
• Detroit race riot of 1943
• Harlem riot of 1964
• List of incidents of civil unrest in New York City
• List of incidents of civil unrest in the United States