Harlem Riot of 1943 reports

1943

The Harlem Riots of 1943, which took place on August 1-2, began with a white policeman's attempt to arrest a black woman for disorderly conduct, and his shooting of an interceding black soldier. The Riot resulted in six deaths, over a thousand arrested and injured, and property damages estimated at five millions dollars. Racial discrimination in the armed forces and police brutality against blacks were the underlying causes of the disturbances. Blacks were also frustrated by the lack of equal opportunity to economic advantages brought about by the war effort. The looting and destruction which occurred during the two day riot was an expression of racial conflict and antagonism to discriminatory practices and policies attributed to whites in general. The Harlem Riot of 1943 Reports include draft and final copies of typed reports prepared by Hylan Lewis and Herbert Heyman for the Office of War Information regarding the 1943 Harlem Riot, and a separate report entitled: "Negro Civilian Attitudes and the Morale of Negro Troops." The reports contain statements relative to the actual incident that led to the riot and an analysis of the various factors that contributed to the explosion, including the economic situation in Harlem and the discriminatory treatment of black soldiers in Southern camps and throughout the Army.