1917 EVENTS
Silent Protest Parade in New York, July 27th
On July 28, 1917 in New York City, a Silent parade was staged in protest of the East St. Louis, Illinois Massacre of July 2, 1917, as well as the recent lynchings in Waco, Texas and Memphis, Tennesee. The march was organized by the NAACP, churchmen and other civil leaders to protest the violent events against African Americans around the country. The United States had just entered World War I and many were questioning the use of African-American soldiers to fight in a war that President Woodrow Wilson had described as necessary to the survival of democracy abroad, especially at a time when these same men and their families were denied their basic rights here in the U.S.
The riots in East St. Louis began when whites, angry because African Americans were employed by a factory holding government contracts, went on a rampage. Over $400,000 worth of property was destroyed. At least 40 African Americans were killed. Men, women and children were beaten, stabbed, hanged and burned. Nearly 6,000 African Americans were driven from their homes.
On July 28, 8,000 African Americans, primarily from Harlem, marched silently down Fifth Avenue. They were dressed in their finest clothes and marched to the sound of muffled drums. They carried picket signs while thousands of New Yorkers watched from the sidewalks. The children marched as well as the adults. Some of the banners read: "Mother, do lynchers go to heaven?" , "Mr President, why not make America safe for democracy?", "Pray for the Lady Macbeths of East St. Louis", and "Give us a Chance to Live".
369th Black Regiment embarks for France, November
When World War I started in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the United States neutral. However, in 1917, the U.S. formally declared war. At the start of the war, African Americans volunteered for the Armed Services and were rejected. But on May 18, 1917, the Selective Service Act was passed, providing for the enlistment of all able-bodied American men between the ages of 21 and 31. Before the end of these enlistments, over 2 million black men had registered.
James Europe, who had been touring with the dancers Vernon and Irene Castle, was asked by Colonel William Haywood to organize a band for the U.S. 15th Infantry. Europe brought men from all over the U.S. and from Puerto Rico to form one of the most popular overseas bands during the war. The 15th New York Infantry was training in Spartansburg, South Carolina when a racial incident occurred involving Noble Sissle, the drum major. When the other militiamen heard about the incident, they wanted to retaliate. But Lt. James R. Europe, the bandmaster, ordered the men to disperse. The War Department decided to send the 15th N.Y. Infantry, now the 369th Regiment of the U.S. Army to France. They became the first contingent of African-American combat troops to go to war. They were nicknamed the "Harlem Hellfighters" and performed for the troops and the French people and government officials during the war, bringing jazz to France.