By Phenderson Djeli Clark 

A reminder of what the term “race riot” has usually meant throughout American history. This list is NOT comprehensive, and does not include events such as the Anti-Filipino Riots, Rosewood, the Zoot Suit Riots or the 26 anti-black race riots during the Summer of 1919. But they offer a glimpse.

"Murdering Negroes in the rear of the Mechanics Institute," New Orleans Riot 1866
“Murdering Negroes in the rear of the Mechanics Institute,” New Orleans Riot 1866

Louisiana outrages- Harper's Weekly 1874
Louisiana outrages- Harper’s Weekly 1874

Hamburg Massacre, SC 1876
Hamburg Massacre, SC 1876

Black district destroyed by white mob- Springfield, IL race riot 1908 #whiteriots

p.s Unrelated – Post-game riots at West Virginia University




Read more by Phenderson Djeli Clark find him on Twitter @pdjeliclark


13 thoughts on “A History of White “Race Riots” in America

  1. Just a correction- the St. Louis riot was actually in East St. Louis across the Mississippi river in Illinois, and the total dead was 39


  2. You have to name riots back in the day, and no one denies whites have rioted, or even burned their own businesses and neighborhoods down, but nowadays it’s mostly anti white african americans. role flipped


    1. If you have any real interest in understanding this, you should look at where black folks live in the ghetto and see who it is that “own” the places they live, work and shop. A lot of black folks live places and pay rents for generations and never “own” anything, so when they burn these places to the ground it is not their sh!t they are destroying.


  3. I was a civil rights protester in the sixies now I am considered a bigot because I am a old, white, male,Vet. You would think that a people who were once repressed in this country would have some compassion for those who fought for their rights, instead they hate all whites and I see nothing coming from the Black community but extreme racism and hate. American whites fought to end slavery while Black Muslims still practice it all over the world. History proves blacks were inslaved and still are by Muslim slavers. They were only traded by the dutch who brought them here. Facts folks!! Who cares what happened 100 years ago, lets forgo the racist stuff and treat each other with respect!!!!! Forgive the dead for what they did and lets make this a better world with compassion and respect!!!!


    1. The difference is Old boy, after you went and played civil rights hero in your 20’s you could go back to the comforts of your middle class life and pat yourself on the back for you good deed, never looking back, did the struggle end they day the civil rights bill passed?

      Liked by 1 person

  4. I am a Librarian, and greatly appreciate your research efforts. May in assist in some way. An interesting angle is $value of the destruction, and 10, 20 50 year longitudinal study on the aftermath, affect on property values, shifts in demographics, what scars do we wrestle with today.


  5. Interesting how original riots of violence were characterized by white mobs armed with weapons and visciously killing innocent, established, hardworking Blacks. All was quickly forgotten, forgiven, or erased from the annals of history. Fast forward to now, whereby riots are associated with Blacks causing major disruptions against the white establishment. These images are constantly flashed across the media screen and become engrained in the hearts and minds of society. He who controls the image determines the definition!

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Article surveyed most white clueles. Perhaps, in their eyes we do not give them:
    jobs, houses, employment, money. Therefore, we are in significant.
    Does this warrant mistreatment?
    Is this a form of bullying?

    Liked by 1 person

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