Toledo Riot of 1920

Toledo Riot of 1920 was a significant event in the history of Toledo, Ohio, involving African Americans, European Americans, and law enforcement agencies, including the Toledo Police Department and the Ohio National Guard. The riot was sparked by the lynching of a African American man, which led to widespread violence and racial tension in the city, similar to the East St. Louis riots and the Chicago race riot of 1919. The event drew attention from prominent figures such as W.E.B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, and Ida B. Wells, who were all involved in the Civil Rights Movement and organizations like the NAACP and the Universal Negro Improvement Association. The riot also had connections to other notable events, including the Red Summer and the Palmer Raids, which were carried out by J. Edgar Hoover and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

● Introduction

The Toledo Riot of 1920 was a major civil disturbance that occurred in Toledo, Ohio, a city with a significant African American population and a history of racial segregation, similar to Birmingham, Alabama and New Orleans, Louisiana. The riot was influenced by the Great Migration of African Americans from the Southern United States to the Northern United States, which led to increased racial tension in cities like Detroit, Michigan and Cleveland, Ohio. The event was also connected to the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural movement that celebrated African American art, literature, and music, and involved figures like Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Duke Ellington. The riot drew attention from prominent African American leaders, including Booker T. Washington, Thurgood Marshall, and Martin Luther King Jr., who were all involved in the Civil Rights Movement and organizations like the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Congress of Racial Equality.

● Background

The Toledo Riot of 1920 was preceded by a series of events that contributed to the racial tension in the city, including the lynching of African American men in nearby Lima, Ohio and Dayton, Ohio. The city's African American population was also affected by the Great Migration, which led to increased competition for jobs and housing, similar to the experiences of African Americans in Chicago, Illinois and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The riot was also influenced by the Red Summer, a period of racial violence that occurred in several cities across the United States, including Washington, D.C., Knoxville, Tennessee, and Omaha, Nebraska. The event was connected to the Palmer Raids, a series of deportations and arrests carried out by J. Edgar Hoover and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which targeted immigrants and radicals, including Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman.

● The Riot

The Toledo Riot of 1920 began on a day in 1920, when a group of African American men were attacked by a mob of European American men, leading to widespread violence and destruction of property, similar to the Detroit riot of 1943 and the Watts riots. The riot was characterized by looting, arson, and physical attacks on African American residents, businesses, and institutions, including the Toledo African Methodist Episcopal Church and the Toledo NAACP. The Toledo Police Department and the Ohio National Guard were deployed to restore order, but their efforts were initially ineffective, leading to criticism from African American leaders like W.E.B. Du Bois and Ida B. Wells. The riot was eventually brought under control, but not before several people were killed or injured, including African American residents and law enforcement officers, such as Toledo Police Chief John W. Murphy.

● Aftermath

The Toledo Riot of 1920 had significant consequences for the city of Toledo, Ohio, including the establishment of a grand jury to investigate the causes of the riot, which was led by Toledo Mayor Samuel M. Jones. The riot also led to the creation of the Toledo Community Relations Commission, which aimed to improve race relations in the city, similar to the Chicago Commission on Human Relations and the New York City Commission on Human Rights. The event drew attention from prominent African American leaders, including Thurgood Marshall, who later became a Supreme Court Justice, and Martin Luther King Jr., who led the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The riot was also connected to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which were signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

● Legacy

The Toledo Riot of 1920 is remembered as a significant event in the history of Toledo, Ohio, and its legacy continues to be felt today, with ongoing efforts to improve race relations and address systemic racism in the city, similar to the experiences of Baltimore, Maryland and Ferguson, Missouri. The riot is commemorated by the Toledo African American Legacy Project, which aims to preserve the history and culture of African Americans in Toledo, Ohio, and is connected to other notable events, including the Selma to Montgomery marches and the Birmingham campaign. The event is also studied by scholars and researchers at institutions like Toledo University, Ohio State University, and the University of Michigan, who are interested in the history of racism and social justice in the United States, and involve figures like Angela Davis, Cornel West, and Ta-Nehisi Coates. The riot's legacy is also connected to the Black Lives Matter movement, which has drawn attention to issues of police brutality and systemic racism in cities across the United States, including New York City, Los Angeles, California, and Chicago, Illinois. Category:Riots in the United States