18. One Of The Worst Riots Was In Chicago
On July 27, 1919, an African American who was swimming out at Lake Michigan accidentally paddled himself out to the South Side. This area was frequently used by whites, who were furious that this “black boy” would contaminate their swimming water. They stoned him in the water, and he drowned.
The police refused to investigate the young man’s murder, but a mob of white supremacists on the streets of Chicago made sure that there would not be a black uprising. By the time the Chicago race riot was over, at least 50 African Americans had been killed, 500 had been injured, and 1000 families had been left homeless.
