Why The 1919 Chicago Race Riot Matters Today

“We strongly believe that the Chicago race riot serves as the origin story for the two Chicagos: one of people of color, one white,” said Franklin Cosey-Gay.

By Stephanie Kim
What The 1919 Chicago Race Riot Matters Today
In this July 10, 2019, photo, a wreathe lies in front of a site commemorating the 1919 race riots in Chicago. The plaque is near the area where black teenager Eugene Williams was struck in the head with a rock and drowned in Lake Michigan, sparking race riots. AP Photo
What The 1919 Chicago Race Riot Matters Today
In this July 10, 2019, photo, a wreathe lies in front of a site commemorating the 1919 race riots in Chicago. The plaque is near the area where black teenager Eugene Williams was struck in the head with a rock and drowned in Lake Michigan, sparking race riots. AP Photo

Why The 1919 Chicago Race Riot Matters Today

“We strongly believe that the Chicago race riot serves as the origin story for the two Chicagos: one of people of color, one white,” said Franklin Cosey-Gay.

By Stephanie Kim
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In the summer of 1919, a Black teenager was stoned for drifting into an area of Lake Michigan tacitly reserved for whites only. He then drowned, leading to one of the worst incidents of racial violence in Chicago.

Reset brings on the co-director of a project that holds an annual bike tour to mark the anniversary of the riot and to educate the public about how the events that summer shaped the city’s history.

GUEST: Franklin Cosey-Gay, co-director of the Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project (CRR19) and executive director of the Chicago Center for Youth Violence Prevention