Harlem riot of 1964 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Harlem riot of 1964 |
|
|---|---|
| Part of the Ghetto riots | |
Demonstrators carrying photographs of Lieutenant Thomas Gilligan
|
|
| Date | July 16–22, 1964 |
| Location | |
| Casualties | |
| Death(s) | 1 |
| Injuries | 118 |
| Arrested | 465 |
The Harlem riot of 1964 occurred between July 16 and 22, 1964. It began after James Powell, a 15-year-old African American, was shot and killed by police Lieutenant Thomas Gilligan in front of Powell's friends and about a dozen other witnesses. Immediately after the shooting, about 300 students from Powell's school who were informed by the principal rallied. The shooting set off six consecutive nights of rioting that affected the New York City neighborhoods of Harlem and Bedford-Stuyvesant. In total, 4,000 New Yorkers participated in the riots which led to attacks on the New York City Police Department (NYPD), vandalism, and looting in stores.
Statistics vary but it is estimated that 500 persons were injured, one man died and 465 men and women were arrested. Property damage was estimated to be between $500,000 and $1 million.
In September, Gilligan was cleared of any wrongdoing by a grand jury and charges were dropped.
The riots feature prominently in Colson Whitehead's 2021 novel "Harlem Shuffle."
Images for kids
-
Confrontation between African Americans and police at Fulton Street and Nostrand Avenue on July 21, in Brooklyn.
