White Workers At The Time Blacks example essay topic

This book review was on the book of Race Riot: Chicago in the Red Summer of 1919. It was a long-term study done by William M. Tuttle, Jr. Its objective was to make a comprehensive documentation of the events of 1919 in Chicago. The book dealt with all aspects and perspectives of the event. The author's objective was to leave no stone uncovered. That every aspect would be talked about in detail.

Some important aspects that he arose throughout the book are going to be the focal point of this book review. I think that it would be proper to give a little history about the author. William Tuttle was a graduate from Denison University in 1959. He obtained his Ph. D. degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1967. He is a college professor and taught at various institutions. He has had many other writings in print.

He has had his articles printed in various journals. He also written another book called W.E.B. DuBois: Great Life Observed. He was a recipient of a fellowship and grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Council of Learned Societies. As you can see, Dr. Tuttle was a very accomplished individual. I think the first major aspect you get is idea of the riot. He goes into great length talking about various riots that happened all throughout the nation.

However, from reading it they all seemed to go down the same line. The riots are not like we typically think of but they are for the same reason. In the books, perspective the killing of a black mostly started these riots. Black people would then retaliate by rioting.

This theme was recurrent. Usually the papers or word of mouth instigated the riot. Reason for this being an interesting aspect is the perception of the riots. When whites rioted, it was to protect dignity and to do the right thing. They had a so-called legit moral purpose for their actions. As Tuttle states blacks rioting were often seen as ruthless and they are depicted as animals and should be dealt with.

This difference in depiction was interesting to me. I guess it would lie in the mindset of the people of those prevailing times. One of the most highlighted points I think that Tuttle makes throughout the book is the role of the police. You can apply their actions to all of the riots.

They definitely played an important role in these riots. All throughout the book, they were instigators. They made false reports of blacks and their roles. They also had an important part in fueling the fire.

With their support, the brutal attacks on blacks went on without repercussions thus inviting more to join in the abuse. Many instances Tuttle states that the police not only condoned the beatings and killings but also participated in many of them. He often made the point of police involvement. Like when the two black officers came to arrest the suspected stoners the other white officers did not allow them to arrest them and let them go free. These actions put fear into blacks.

Tuttle states, "They had expected little else of a police force which they had come to view as the armed representative of white hostility" (Tuttle, 33). These actions may explain the resentment and hatred of police today by many blacks. There was also a big influx of blacks to Chicago. The numbers of blacks migrating to Chicago was tremendous. Many reasons Tuttle states are the cause for this. The major one is just blacks wanting to leave the south.

They wanted to leave the segregated south in hope of a better future. They were tired of the Jim Crow laws, lynching, poor school, and constant harassment. A black said, "Anywhere north will do us" (Tuttle, 79). Another reason was jobs. In the time of war, the big manufactories trying to keep up with the needs of the military were in dire needs of people to work.

There were actual labor recruiters whose job was to go out and recruit blacks to work in the factories. Moreover, when the opportunity to work opened up blacks took them in full demand. It was a way out of the south. Massive train system that developed to move the goods also moved blacks from the south to Chicago.

In addition, the probably main factor was the success stories that you heard coming form various sources. The main being the defender newspaper. "It was the Defender's emphatic denunciation of the Southern treatment of blacks and its emphasis on pride in the race that increased its circulation tenfold between 1916 and 1918' (Tuttle, 90). In addition, you heard stories or got letters from relatives that told of the money, freedoms, and opportunities that the north especially Chicago had. These ideas produce one of the migrations that this country has ever seen. I am not for sure but I heard now it is the exact opposite their is a great migration back south for blacks.

As stated before this great influx of black workers was also coinciding with the great influx of unions. This was a seed of tons of violence. Blacks did not want to join the union and denounced it very openly. A black worker said "Fuck the union, fuck you in the [union] button" (Tuttle, 109). This enraged the white organizers. This many of the times ended up in bloodshed.

Many of the workers on both sides were coming to work armed with guns and knives. This hostility came towards the union for some of the unions fault. It was said "No matter how expert a colored man may be it is said that it is next to impossible for him to secure membership in a union in Chicago" (Tuttle, 114). Because of this, the only way for blacks to work was as scabs coming across the union strike line.

For most white workers at the time blacks and scabs meant the same thing. As the union strikes grew, the more blacks were being used as scabs. The more hostility grew among them and the union workers. As all conflicts of the time, these labor wars soon became race wars, which left many dead and severely injured. The cure was to unionize the blacks' workers. At first, it was not successful at all.

One reason was the rejection in the first place of the unions. The second is the major lack of understanding of the idea of organized labor. There was little success in a black union movement but it soon faded because of lack of equal pay for same skilled union work. One was the influx of blacks to use to be all white neighborhoods. The black belt of the inner Chicago was a slum to say the least.

The property owners denied all request to do repairs in the buildings. The police allowed open vice and crime to run rampant in all parts. This combo led to an environment of disease and violence. Many blacks wanted to leave the area in search for better housing.

This is where the violence can in. The areas where blacks moved out and the realtors who sold them housing were bomb. It was an attempt to control the black population by relegating them to live in one geographical area. Also, an attempt to keep the separation of blacks from whites. As the more and more blacks came the more and more the whites were bumped out of their areas.

Realtors were said to say that blacks were going to be moving in and in fact, they were not, they would get the property dirt-cheap, and then they would sell it for outrageous prices to blacks. However, after the war there was a great shortage for housing. Therefore, it then put blacks and whites in competition for houses. This is when the realtors got together to enact a plan.

"Community Property Owners' Protective Association, with its constituency being the district bounded by 39th and 51st Streets, and Cottage Grove and Michigan Boulevard. Its purpose was keeping undesirables out. "We don't want any gentlemen of color or gentlemen off color in our midst" (Tuttle, 171). Without the legal means to quarantine blacks they used illegal means this came in the form of bombs.

As the campaign to make the Hyde Park area, all white again another riot broke out. There were various bombings and killings. Nevertheless, the idea of a new black emerged one that was more militant and willing to stand up and fight. Politics was huge for blacks. Blacks' votes were instrumental in voting in three-city council member and they had a major role in voting in the mayor. As more and more blacks came into Chicago the more and more powerful, the vote became.

"The year 1910 marked the beginning of a new history of the black people in politics in Chicago, for it introduced the decade in which the race became a powerful political voice in the city" (Tuttle, 185). This rather precipitated the race riots of 1919. As their vote became more powerful, the more partisan it became. These partisans many of the time drew the liner on race. Therefore, it made the racial tension even higher than it was before. One of the biggest vote gutters was William Hale Thompson.

He was somewhat eccentric in nature. However, he was the first politician to woo the black vote. The blacks of Chicago simply loved him. He was a great speaker.

He aroused the large black crowds and got them out to vote. However, most whites denounced him. The tribune never wrote anything good about him. Nevertheless, he was elected mayor. He lived up to all of his promises.

He appointed blacks in powerful positions. An upheld his decision to white Chicago ans. His candidacy was always on attack but he still kept on moving. Blacks adored him. Many blacks saw him as the savior to many of their problems. Nevertheless, even though the black representatives were not very representative to the blacks' long-term interest they still seen it as a victory.

They now knew they had the power to elect whom they wanted in to office. Thus brought to them a sense of pride and power in a very un hopeful state many of them were in. As black achievements grew, the more and more they wanted the rights of the constitutions. "Black men and women in 1919 were imbued both with pride in their race and with a fierce determination to possess the rights pledged to Americans by the Constitution. As an upshot of the migration and the race's contributions to the Allies's victory-as soldiers, industrial workers, purchasers of Liberty Bonds-black people felt they hade earned the enjoyment of these guarantees. They were resolved also to defend their life, liberty, and property against white aggressors" (Tuttle, 210).

That statement pretty much sums up the ideological thinking of the new blacks of the time. One of the major points was the war. Many whites knew that if blacks fought in the war they would have a greater stake in this countries democracy. However, when this did not happen and many blacks served and served courageously it brought out this new idea of the New Negro.

As the blacks felt they have done so much for the country their ideas and expectations changed. They now wanted to have greater stake in the country. This was met with great opposition but little could be done to quell the thinking. They tried to use the police and aggressive tactics but his led to even more hostility and it ingrained the ideas even more in blacks' minds. As hostilities grew so did the New Negroes plight for equality. As it was stated in the book, many factors led up to the race riots of 1919.

The single incident was a highpoint. It more or less triggered all of the actions and feelings that were preceded in the years leading up to the riot. It is amazing how the differences of a race can change in a few years. Also the importance of little factors that can lead up to becoming huge and having great implications on actions. For blacks and whites both the riot was just a built up accumulation of hostility that has been going on for quite some time.

One thing can be said though that the Chicago incidents seem to be the more ruthless and aggressive when compared to others. It may have been because of the blacks' resiliency not to lie down and to fight back. A lot of the time it causes even more hostility to brew when compared to a nonviolent approach. Nevertheless, the Chicago riots and the incidents that led up to it were monumental in status.

Bibliography

William Tuttle". Race Riot". New York, Atheneum press: 1970.