Summer In Chicago: Winter In America

Introduction by Dr. Gloria Latimore Peace

Presented By Omni-University

"We were not able to breathe our breath without being accosted, attacked, and accused of being disrespectful to the norms, dispositions, and traditions of American whiteness. We still can't breathe." Heru KheperRa, "Our Daily Blog"#23.

"When we revolt it's not for a particular culture. We revolt simply because, for many reasons, we can no longer breathe." Frantz Fanon, "The Wretched of the Earth".

You are cordially invited to view, "Summer In Chicago: Winter In America" An episode of The H3O/Art of Life TV Show which featured an interview with Filmmaker Barbara Allen,  Middle Passage Productions, Inc. Barbara Allen is in the process of making a documentary, "Red Summer/ Blue Winter", about the "Red Summer of 1919".

One hundred years ago, during the Summer of 1919, a group of friends either swam or floated on a raft, across an invisible line near the 29th Street Beach in Chicago's Lake Michigan. Apparently unaware that, as Black people, they were not supposed to be on that "side" of the imaginary line, they did not realize they were in danger of being accosted. They seem to have misjudged the intent of the whites who began throwing stones at them. That is, until one of the "targets" was struck in the head. As the fatally injured victim went under, one of the friends tried desperately to save him. Unfortunately, he could not be revived. 

Although the surviving boys were able to identify the perpetrators to the policemen who arrived on the scene, the Black police officer was prevented, by his white. counterpart, from arresting them. This injustice sparked a protest by the witnesses who soon found themselves under attack.  What followed was a  widespread race riot, i.e., "The Red Summer of 1919".