On July 24, 1964, chaos erupted in Rochester, New York. Strike the Hammer examines the unrest-rebellion by the city's Black community, rampant police brutality-that would radically change the trajectory of the Civil Rights movement. After overcoming a violent response by State Police, the fight for justice, in an upstate town rooted in black power movements, was reborn. That resurgence owed much to years of organizing and resistance in the community.Laura Warren Hill examines Rochester's long Civil Rights history and, drawing extensively on oral accounts of the northern, urban community, offers rich and detailed stories of the area's protest tradition. Augmenting oral testimonies with records from the NAACP, SCLC, and the local FIGHT, Strike the Hammer paints a compelling picture of the foundations for the movement. Now, especially, this story of struggle for justice and resistance to inequality resonates. Hill leads us to consider the social, political, and economic environment more than fifty years ago and how that founding generation of activists left its mark on present-day Rochester.
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Extrait
STRïKE THE HAMMER
STRïKE THE HAMMER
T HE BL ACK F RE E DOM ST RUGGL E I N ROCHEST E R, NE W YORK, 1940–1970
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Fîrst pubîshed 2021 by Corne Unîversîty Press
îbrary o Congress Cataogîng-în-Pubîcatîon Data
Names: Hî, aura Warren, author. Tîte: Strîke the hammer : the Back reedom strugge în Rochester, New York, 1940–1970 / aura Warren Hî. Descrîptîon: ïthaca [New York] : Corne Unîversîty Press, 2021. | ïncudes bîbîographîca reerences and îndex. ïdentîIers: CCN 2020030994 (prînt) | CCN 2020030995 (ebook) | ïSBN 9781501754258 (hardcover) | ïSBN 9781501756047 (paperback) | ïSBN 9781501754418 (pd ) | ïSBN 9781501754425 (epub) Subjects: CSH: Arîcan Amerîcans—Cîvî rîghts—New York (State)—Rochester—Hîstory—20th century. | Cîvî rîghts movements—New York (State)— Rochester—Hîstory—20th century. | Back power— Economîc aspects—New York (State)—Rochester. | Back power—New York (State)—Rochester— Hîstory—20th century. | Rochester (N.Y.)—Race reatîons—Hîstory—20th century. | Rochester (N.Y.)—Race reatîons—Economîc aspects. CassîIcatîon: CC F129.R79 N44 2021 (prînt) | CC F129.R79 (ebook) | DDC 305.8009747/89—dc23 C record avaîabe at https://ccn.oc.gov/2020030994 C ebook record avaîabe at https://ccn.oc.gov /2020030995
Cover photograph: Mînîster Frankîn Forence, center, on the pîcket îne outsîde the annua stockhoder’s meetîng o the Eastman Kodak Company, Femîngton, NJ, 1967. Kodak Hîstorîca Coectîon, Rare Books, Specîa Coectîons, and Preservatîon, Rîver Campus îbrarîes, Unîversîty o Rochester. Used wîth permîssîon rom Eastman Kodak Company.
Thîs book îs dedîcated to the men and women o Rochester’s Back Freedom Struge, and în memory o Dr. Marcus Aexîs, Loma Aen, Davîd Fînks, Carenceïnram,JohnMîtche,ConstanceMîtche,HoraceBecker,and Reuben Davîs, who kîndy shared theîr storîes wîth me.
Co n t e n t s
ïntroductîon: Strîkîng the Hammer whîe the ïron ïs Hot 1 1. Back Rochester at Mîdcentury: Agrîcutura Mîgratîon, Popuatîon, and Poîtîcs 10 2. Unîtîng or Survîva: Poîce Brutaîty, Organîzatîona ConLîct, and Unîty în the Back Freedom Strugge 33 3. A Quîet Rage Expodes: The Uprîsîng—Juy 24 to Juy 26, 1964 51 4. Buîd the Army: Scrambîng or Back Rochester ater the Uprîsîng 71 5. Conrontatîon wîth Kodak: Corporate Responsîbîîty Meets Back Power 102 6. FïGHTîng or the Sou o Back Capîtaîsm: Strugges or Back Economîc Deveopment în Postrebeîon Rochester 123 Concusîon: Paths to Freedom în Rochester 142
Acknowedments151 Notes155 ïndex191
ïntroductîon Strîkîng the Hammer whîe the ïron ïs Hot
Power concedes nothîng wîthout a demand. ït never dîd and ît never wî. Fînd out just what a peope wî submît to, and you have ound out the exact amount o înjustîce and wrong whîch wî be împosed upon them; and these wî contînue tî they are resîsted wîth eîther words or bows, or wîth both. The îmîts o tyrants are prescrîbed by the endurance o those whom they oppress. —Frederîck Dougass, West ïndîa Emancîpatîon speech, 1857
Thîs book îs a story o transormatîons wrought by an event that happened on Juy 24, 1964, în Rochester, New York. On that day, the cîty’s Back communîty erupted în rebeîon, the suppressîon o whîch requîred caîng up the Natîona Guard. Barey a week earîer, another uprîs-îng had taken pace în the abed Back mecca o Harem. The rebeîons în both paces, Rochester and Harem, shared a common spark: poîce brutaîty and mîsconduct, whîch woud aso be true o subsequent urban uprîsîngs în that era. The events on opposîte sîdes o New York State happened at a crucîa moment în the modern Arîcan Amerîcan experîence. To some, the tîmîng seemed încongruous. At the begînnîng o the same month as the back-to-back uprîsîngs în Harem and Rochester, Juy 1964, the Irst major eg-îsatîve achîevement o the cîvî rîghts movement, the Cîvî Rîghts Act o 1964, had come înto efect. The twîn rebeîons în New York State în 1964 were a oretaste o what was to come as the Southern-based cîvî rîghts movement, resh rom îts egîsatîve vîctorîes (the Cîvî Rîghts Act woud be oowed by the equay consequentîa Votîng Rîghts Act o 1965) gave way to a dîferent kînd o Back poîtîca mobîîzatîon centered argey, athough not excusîvey, în the urban North. The cîvî rîghts movement had dîsmanted Jîm Crow as a system o egaîzed racîsm, wîth consequences that were more îmmedîatey evîdent în the South than în the North. The new Back poîtîca mobîîzatîon, buîdîng on the energy arîsîng rom the rebeîons and ashîonîng theorîes o