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EN
On This Day in 1917: Silent March Through Harlem Marked a Turning Point in Civil Rights
['Clay Cane', 'Clay Cane Is An Award-Winning Journalist', 'Writer', 'Radio Host', 'Political Commentator. A Graduate Of Rutgers University With A Degree In African-American Studies', 'His Work On Race', 'Culture', 'Politics Have Appeared In National Publications', 'Including The Washington Post', 'Cnn']
American Urban Radio Networks
(AURN News) — On July 28, 1917, thousands of Black Americans marched silently through Harlem to protest racial terror, lynching and the massacre in East St. Louis, Illinois.
Organized by the NAACP along with Black civic and religious organizations, the Silent Parade drew as many as 8,000 people down Fifth Avenue, accompanied only by the sound of muffled drums.
The demonstration followed days of racist violence in East St. Louis, where white mobs attacked Black residents through shootings, beatings and arson.
Hundreds were killed, and more than 6,000 Black people were forced to flee.
The march became one of the earliest large-scale civil rights demonstrations in American history, demanding federal action, justice and protection for Black citizens.