Results tagged “racism” from York Town Square

This iconic photo capturing the moment of the 1969 York race riots shows police seizing weapons from a North Newberry Street home. Newberry Street Boys were headquarted on their namesake street, which served as the site of shooting of Lillie Belle Allen on July 21, 1969. This photo originally appeared in The Gazette and Daily and now is part of York County Heritage Trust's archives. Background posts: Images capture hope for racial harmony, York Charrette or charade? and First pitch could break link with York race riots.

In an earlier post in this York race riots series, I wrote about prepping to background a visiting journalist about those disturbing moments in the 1960s.

As part of those preparations, I wrote the following slogan, common around York in the 1860s: "The Union as it was, the Constitution as it is and the Negroes where they are."

This was the majority view in York County. As I've written before, it was a border county in a border state in the Middle Atlantic region where North meets South.

The county developed the pragmatic view that slavery was not York County's problem, and it was not an issue that merited splitting the Union and fracturing the Constitution. Many believed it would disrupt commerce with the South, and the freedman would take scarce jobs or demand financial support.

Abraham Lincoln represented disunion, so we voted against him in the presidential elections of 1860 and 1864... .

This is perhaps the photograph used most often to illustrate stories on the York race riots of 1968-69. The National Guard was called in to York to supplement local and state police forces that were seeking to quell rioting in 1969. The photo first appeared in The Gazette and Daily and is now part of the York County Heritage Trust's Archives. Background posts: Helping to sort it out in York: Timeline of 1969 race riots, Part I and Since 1887, York mayors have dealt with the serious - and the silly and York Charrette or charade?

A visiting journalist, a college professor, was due in our office to gather background on the race riots of the late 1960s and particularly the legal resolution of the trials in 2000 to 2002.

I contemplated concise ways to explain both tough, memorable moments and finally came upon the idea of putting forth the causes and effects in the form of chemical equations.

So, to explain the riots, I wrote:

Long racial oppression + neglect of services for low-income people + unfit mayor + boiling U.S. urban racial environment + K-9 Corps (as a catalyst) = York riots of 1968-69.

This AP photo from June 2001 shows the media besieging the then-York County Courthouse during the trial of defendants in the slaying of Lillie Belle Allen and Henry C. Schaad during race rioting 32 years before. Background posts: For years, York countians part of major court cases and Witman murder among York County's most notorious crimes and York County educator recounts machete attack on 'I Survived...' .

As rioting rocked the York area, Lillie Belle Allen died 40 years ago today.

The death of this black woman from the South, visiting family in York, came three days after white police officer Henry C. Schaad was shot while on patrol.

Two young people dead. Their slayers did not come to justice for another 30 years.

In some minds, these wrenching events all run together. What happened when?

The following chronology, published in the York Sunday News (7/19/09) is designed to help place events in order:

State police horses separate a woman yelling at white supremacists during a January 2002 disturbance in York. Neo-Nazis and other racists traded insults with city residents, anarchists and anti-racist protesters in the aftermath of race riot trial verdicts. Police largely kept the two groups separated. (See related photo below.) Background posts: York's 221 E. Princess St. home to telling ironies and York mayor Brenner brought order during tumultuous times and Images capture hope for racial harmony.

YorkCounts' recent report of quality-of-life indicators assessed one category simply and aptly: "Bias-related incidents are a concern in York County."

The report showed that such incidents are trending down since 1998, but the county average is twice the state's numbers.

For example, the average number of bias incidents reported per 100,000 residents from 2004-2006 in York County totaled 5.5. The state average was 2.6 percent.

Here's a quick assessment of this thorny problem that has long plagued the county... .

Voni B. Grimes graduated from York's William Penn Senior High School mid-year in 1942. This is his graduation photo. Background posts: New book gives insight into Voni B. Grimes, Who are York County's most influential people? and A short test of your black history knowledge.

Two images among many stand out after a recent walk with community leader Voni B. Grimes.

We walked from his boyhood home to the site of his segregated Smallwood school and back.

The first image came when we gazed across the College Avenue at the former all-white Noell school, now occupied by the Community Progress Council. This College Avenue-Susquehanna Avenue intersection was a dividing point between the best education York schools could offer white pupils and hand-me-down education for black students.

And then a second image... .