On May 9, 1942, tensions over racial discrimination, police brutality, and economic inequality exploded into a violent race riot in Harlem, New York. The unrest was triggered by rumors of a Black soldier being assaulted by a white police officer. Although ultimately based on misinformation, the underlying grievances were very real. The riot exposed deep frustrations within Harlem’s Black community regarding systemic injustice during World War II, when African Americans were fighting abroad for freedoms denied to them at home. The 1942 Harlem Riot foreshadowed future urban uprisings that would punctuate the civil rights era.
© 2025 KnowThyHistory.com. Know Thy History
