Harlem riot of 1935

This article is about the Harlem riot of 1935. For other disturbances in Harlem, see Harlem riot.

Harlem riot of 1935

The Harlem riot of 1935 erupted on March 19, 1935, in New York City, New York, within the United States. It is often recognized as the initial "modern" race riot in Harlem, notable for its focus on damaging property rather than direct attacks on individuals. At that time, Harlem was a predominantly African American neighborhood located in the northern section of Manhattan Island.

The unrest ignited following reports that a black Puerto Rican adolescent accused of shoplifting was assaulted by staff members at an S. H. Kress variety store, commonly known as a "five and dime." A protest took place outside the store that evening, and after a rock shattered a window, widespread vandalism targeted the store and other businesses owned by white proprietors. The violence resulted in three fatalities, hundreds injured, and property damage estimated at around $2 million across the area. Notably, properties owned by African Americans experienced comparatively less destruction.

Background

During the era of the Great Depression, economic hardships severely impacted minorities residing in Harlem and other parts of New York City. Employment opportunities were scarce, with minorities frequently being the first to lose jobs and the last to be rehired during economic fluctuations, leading to difficult living conditions.

Triggering event

At approximately 2:30 p.m. on March 19, 1935, a staff member at the Kress Five and Ten store located at 256 W. 125th Street—directly opposite the Apollo Theater—apprehended 16-year-old Lino Rivera for attempting to steal a 10-cent penknife; Rivera was a black Puerto Rican youth. When threatened with being taken to the store’s basement for a severe beating, Rivera responded by biting the employee’s hand. The store manager intervened and summoned police officers; however, Rivera was ultimately released. Meanwhile, a crowd gathered around a woman who had witnessed Rivera’s detention and claimed he was being beaten. The arrival of an ambulance to treat the bitten employee seemed to validate her allegations. Rumors spread rapidly when bystanders noticed a hearse parked nearby, fueling beliefs that Rivera had been fatally beaten. The woman who initially raised the alarm was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct, the Kress store closed early that day, and police dispersed the crowd. Following the outbreak of violence, authorities sought to present Rivera alive to quell rumors but delayed doing so until the following morning because he had provided a false address upon his initial detention.

Outbreak

During the early evening hours, an organization known as the Young Liberators initiated a protest outside the store, rapidly attracting a crowd numbering in the thousands. Handbills circulated among the crowd included one titled "Child Brutally Beaten" and another condemning "the savage beating of the 12 year old boy ... for taking a piece of candy."

At some point, a rock was thrown, breaking the window of the Kress Five and Ten store, which triggered a wave of destruction and looting that expanded both eastward and westward along 125th Street. White-owned businesses located between Fifth and Eighth avenues became primary targets. Some establishments displayed signs stating "Colored Store" or "Colored Help Employed Here" to deter attacks. As the unrest extended north and south during the early morning hours, police apprehended Lino Rivera from his mother's residence and took a photograph of him alongside an officer; these images were distributed throughout Harlem to demonstrate that Rivera was unharmed. Additionally, New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia commissioned posters urging residents to restore peace.

Aftermath and investigation

By the following day’s end, normalcy had returned to Harlem’s streets. The violence resulted in three African-American fatalities, 125 arrests, and approximately 100 injuries. District Attorney William C. Dodge attributed the disturbances to Communist agitation. In response, Mayor LaGuardia established a diverse Mayor's Commission on Conditions in Harlem led by African-American sociologist E. Franklin Frazier, with members including Judge Hubert Thomas Delany, poet Countee Cullen, and labor activist A. Philip Randolph. This commission was tasked with examining the causes behind the riot. Their report, entitled The Negro in Harlem: A Report on Social and Economic Conditions Responsible for the Outbreak of March 19, 1935, characterized the riot as "spontaneous," noting no indication of organized leadership or planning among participants. The document highlighted factors such as employment discrimination, police aggression, and racial segregation as key contributors to the unrest. It also acknowledged Communist groups for playing a significant role in preventing violent clashes between black and white communities. Following this, Alain Locke was appointed to oversee implementation of the report's recommendations.

However, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia chose not to release the commission’s findings publicly, effectively shelving the report. Its contents remained largely unknown until a black New York publication, the Amsterdam News, serialized it for readers.

Historical analysis

Jeffrey Stewart, a history professor at George Mason University, identified the 1935 Harlem riot as "the first modern race riot," emphasizing that it marked the end of the optimism and hope that had driven the Harlem Renaissance.

Sociologist Allen D. Grimshaw characterized the Harlem riot of 1935 as the initial example of a "modern" racial riot, based on three defining features:

1. "violence focused predominantly on property damage"
2. "lack of direct confrontations between racial groups"
3. "conflicts primarily between economically disadvantaged African Americans and law enforcement"

Unlike earlier race riots, which involved violent encounters between black and white groups, later disturbances would more closely resemble the pattern seen in Harlem.

See also

• Harlem riot of 1943 – unrest during World War II triggered by a police officer shooting a black U.S. Army serviceman.
• Harlem riot of 1964 – six days of civil unrest following the fatal shooting of an African-American teenager by an NYPD lieutenant.
• List of incidents of civil unrest in New York City
• List of incidents of civil unrest in the United States

References

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