Strike the Hammer

Warren Hill Laura

Description

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.

Sujets

• Histoire
• Local history
• 20th century
• History of the Americas
• Human rights

Informations

• Publié par: Cornell University Press
• Date de parution: 15 avril 2021
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781501754418
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 8 Mo

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

L a u r a W a r r e n H i l l

CORNE UNïVERSïTY PRESS ïthaca and London

Copyrîght © 2021 by Corne Unîversîty

A rîghts reserved. Except or brîe quotatîons în a revîew, thîs book, or parts thereo, must not be reproduced în any orm wîthout permîssîon în wrîtîng rom the pubîsher. For înormatîon, address Corne Unîversîty Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, ïthaca, New York 14850. Vîsît our websîte at cornepress.corne.edu.

Fîrst pubîshed 2021 by Corne Unîversîty Press

îbrary o Congress Cataogîng-în-Pubîcatîon Data

Names: Hî, aura Warren, author. Tîte: Strîke the hammer : the Back reedom strugge în Rochester, New York, 1940–1970 / aura Warren Hî. Descrîptîon: ïthaca [New York] : Corne Unîversîty Press, 2021. | ïncudes bîbîographîca reerences and îndex. ïdentîIers: CCN 2020030994 (prînt) | CCN 2020030995 (ebook) | ïSBN 9781501754258 (hardcover) | ïSBN 9781501756047 (paperback) | ïSBN 9781501754418 (pd ) | ïSBN 9781501754425 (epub) Subjects: CSH: Arîcan Amerîcans—Cîvî rîghts— New York (State)—Rochester—Hîstory—20th century. | Cîvî rîghts movements—New York (State)— Rochester—Hîstory—20th century. | Back power— Economîc aspects—New York (State)—Rochester. | Back power—New York (State)—Rochester— Hîstory—20th century. | Rochester (N.Y.)— Race reatîons—Hîstory—20th century. | Rochester (N.Y.)—Race reatîons—Economîc aspects. CassîIcatîon: CC F129.R79 N44 2021 (prînt) | CC F129.R79 (ebook) | DDC 305.8009747/89—dc23 C record avaîabe at https://ccn.oc.gov/2020030994 C ebook record avaîabe at https://ccn.oc.gov /2020030995

Cover photograph: Mînîster Frankîn Forence, center, on the pîcket îne outsîde the annua stockhoder’s meetîng o the Eastman Kodak Company, Femîngton, NJ, 1967. Kodak Hîstorîca Coectîon, Rare Books, Specîa Coectîons, 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 Back Freedom Struge, and în memory o Dr. Marcus Aexîs, Loma Aen, Davîd Fînks, Carenceïnram,JohnMîtche,ConstanceMîtche,HoraceBecker, and Reuben Davîs, who kîndy shared theîr storîes wîth me.

Co n t e n t s

 ïntroductîon: Strîkîng the Hammer whîe the ïron ïs Hot 1  1. Back Rochester at Mîdcentury: Agrîcutura Mîgratîon, Popuatîon, and Poîtîcs 10  2. Unîtîng or Survîva: Poîce Brutaîty, Organîzatîona ConLîct, and Unîty în the Back Freedom Strugge 33  3. A Quîet Rage Expodes: The Uprîsîng—Juy 24 to Juy 26, 1964 51  4. Buîd the Army: Scrambîng or Back Rochester ater the Uprîsîng 71  5. Conrontatîon wîth Kodak: Corporate Responsîbîîty Meets Back Power 102  6. FïGHTîng or the Sou o Back Capîtaîsm: Strugges or Back Economîc Deveopment în Postrebeîon Rochester 123  Concusîon: Paths to Freedom în Rochester 142

Acknowedments151 Notes155 ïndex191

ïntroductîon Strîkîng the Hammer whîe the ïron ïs Hot

Power concedes nothîng wîthout a demand. ït never dîd and ît never wî. Fînd out just what a peope 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 bows, or wîth both. The îmîts o tyrants are prescrîbed by the endurance o those whom they oppress. —Frederîck Dougass, West ïndîa Emancîpatîon speech, 1857

Thîs book îs a story o transormatîons wrought by an event that happened on Juy 24, 1964, în Rochester, New York. On that day, the cîty’s Back communîty erupted în rebeîon, the suppressîon o whîch requîred caîng up the Natîona Guard. Barey a week earîer, another uprîs- îng had taken pace în the abed Back mecca o Harem. The rebeîons în both paces, Rochester and Harem, shared a common spark: poîce brutaîty and mîsconduct, whîch woud aso 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 Arîcan Amerîcan experîence. To some, the tîmîng seemed încongruous. At the begînnîng o the same month as the back-to-back uprîsîngs în Harem and Rochester, Juy 1964, the Irst major eg- îsatîve achîevement o the cîvî rîghts movement, the Cîvî Rîghts Act o 1964, had come înto efect. The twîn rebeîons în New York State în 1964 were a oretaste o what was to come as the Southern-based cîvî rîghts movement, resh rom îts egîsatîve vîctorîes (the Cîvî Rîghts Act woud be oowed by the equay consequentîa Votîng Rîghts Act o 1965) gave way to a dîferent kînd o Back poîtîca mobîîzatîon centered argey, athough not excusîvey, în the urban North. The cîvî rîghts movement had dîsmanted Jîm Crow as a system o egaîzed racîsm, wîth consequences that were more îmmedîatey evîdent în the South than în the North. The new Back poîtîca mobîîzatîon, buîdîng on the energy arîsîng rom the rebeîons and ashîonîng theorîes o

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