Englewood Pastor Notes DC and LA African American Cultural Centers' Remembering Newark's 1967 Rebellion and Its Aftermath at 50/Part 2
Rev. Joel Washington (Khunanpu Sangoma)
Published: August 29, 2017
1. Newark NJ's geopolitical significance to Black America rests in its following distinctions: A) It's a key port city between Philadelphia and New York City; B) It was once a key manufacturing and operations city related to its location; C) It was the distination of choice for sojourners of the Great Black Migration because of its offering related job opportunities in the industries mentioned above; and D) It was among the first of the Country's major urban industrial centers to become an African American majority city.
2. The causes of the 1967 Newark rebellion are all too familiar. Immediately speaking, close to fifty years before young Michael Brown's Ferguson or Freddie Gray's Baltimore, and their respective aftermaths, was the Newark Safety Cab Company driver, John Smith's beating and arrest, on questionable moving vehicle charges, by a contingent of the City's predominently Euro-American police force on the evening of July 12, 1967-a Wednesday.
3. A selected outline of the four-day revolt is as follows:
A. White Newark police beat and arrest John Smith, on questionable moving vehicle charges;
B. Fellow Black cab drivers rapidly spread the word of Smith's beating and arrest over their cab radios;
C) Congress of Racial Equaliity (CORE), the United Freedom Party, and Newark Community Project leaders try to hold a spontaneous peaceful protest across the street from the 4th Precinct Station where John Smith was held;
D) Militant Black youth, inside and outside the 4th Precinct demonstration, smash police station windows with rocks and bottles-despite futile calls of protest leaders for a peaceful demonstration.
E) The militant Black youth-led rebellion rapidly spreads to the commercial strip of the City's African American community-involving window smashing, looting, and burning of stores;
F) Window smashing and looting, by Black militants chanting "Black Power," subsequently spread to the City's main commercial district post-midnight/early July 14-revolt day-2.
G) According to Blackpast.org, "At 2:30 AM, Mayor Addonizio asked New Jersey Governor, Richard J. Hughes, to send in the National Guard to help in restoring order."
H) The Black online reference concludes "Despite the presence of National Guardsmen and State Troopers, (the rebellion) continued for three more days. As the Black (resistance) approached its final hours, 26 people, mostly African Americans, were reported killed, another 750 were injured, and over 1000 jailed. Property damage exceeded $10 million. The (rebellion), the worst civil disorder in New Jersey history, ended on July 17, 1967."
To be continued