The drowning of a Black teenager who drifted into a 'white' area of a Chicago beach ignites days of violence that leave 38 dead.
At a Glance
- Date
- 27 July 1919
- Location
- Chicago, Illinois
- Key people
- Eugene Williams
- Category
- Civil Unrest & Racial Violence
- Source
- Chicago Commission on Race Relations report (1922) · Library of Congress
What It Meant Then
It was among the worst episodes of the 'Red Summer' of 1919.
What It Means Now
The riot exposed the racial tensions of the Great Migration era.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “The Chicago Race Riot of 1919.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-chicago-race-riot-of-1919/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). The Chicago Race Riot of 1919. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-chicago-race-riot-of-1919/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “The Chicago Race Riot of 1919.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-chicago-race-riot-of-1919/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.