In Memoriam
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Summer_(1919)
In 1919, Washington, DC newspapers ran wild with sensational stories of an alleged sexual assault that was said to be committed by an African American. The stories sparked a series of twenty riots during the summer of 1919, beginning with a white lynch mob that targeted blacks in Washington. There were 28 public lynchings in the first half of the year, and the following summer and fall came to be known as"The Red Summer" of 1919. The Red Summer was the motivation behind McKay's "If We Must Die." However, even if you didn't know the history behind it, the poem is still powerful message, universal enough to relate to any people facing their own destruction.
The Red Summer of 1919saw a rise in race riots and hate crimes committed by white people against black communities all across America. Chicago, Washington, DC, and the town of Elaine, Arkansas encountered the most violence. For example, in Chicago on July 27, 1919, a boy accidentally swam in an area of Lake Michigan that had been designated for white people only. When the boy was stoned and drowned, a fight broke out between white and black communities that lasted thirteen days. At the end of those thirteen days, dozens had died, over 500 people were injured, and nearly 1,000 black families had lost their homes (source).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Summer_(1919)
In 1919, Washington, DC newspapers ran wild with sensational stories of an alleged sexual assault that was said to be committed by an African American. The stories sparked a series of twenty riots during the summer of 1919, beginning with a white lynch mob that targeted blacks in Washington. There were 28 public lynchings in the first half of the year, and the following summer and fall came to be known as"The Red Summer" of 1919. The Red Summer was the motivation behind McKay's "If We Must Die." However, even if you didn't know the history behind it, the poem is still powerful message, universal enough to relate to any people facing their own destruction.
The Red Summer of 1919saw a rise in race riots and hate crimes committed by white people against black communities all across America. Chicago, Washington, DC, and the town of Elaine, Arkansas encountered the most violence. For example, in Chicago on July 27, 1919, a boy accidentally swam in an area of Lake Michigan that had been designated for white people only. When the boy was stoned and drowned, a fight broke out between white and black communities that lasted thirteen days. At the end of those thirteen days, dozens had died, over 500 people were injured, and nearly 1,000 black families had lost their homes (source).
