Robert W Stone

Response and Responsibility Robert W Stone

Throughout the twentieth century, Chicago developed a reputation as a hotbed of racial struggle. This book investigates the aftermath of the 1919 Chicago race riots in an attempt to shed light on diverse reactions to the worst violence in the city's history. In the wake of the riots, countless groups pointed fingers, assigned blame, and proposed both long-term and short-term solutions to prevent future racial explosions. The cacophony of voices, each with their own interpretation of the intense racial struggle, and with varying degrees of concern, fear, and outrage, coalesced in a climate of social, political, and economic upheaval. For many, segregation was the solution, some even hoping that Chicago's black population would simply leave the city and head back to the South. Religious leaders called for action and stressed unity, while politicians and reporters outside the city sought to blame the influence of bolshevism and radical ideology. A close look at the public reaction, however, shows that the pressure to assess blame and ascribe consequences ultimately gave way to civil and optimistic attempts to restore peace and make sense of the tragedy, hopeful that justice could be attained and future clashes avoided. Today, Chicago remains one of the most racially segregated cities in America. This portrait of the cacophony of voices reacting to urban racial crisis in the early part of the twentieth century may shed new light on the continuing intolerance within the city.