Continuing with my roll out of the resources that we will share with supporters on Saturday and with the broader public on Monday, I have written a pamphlet about a history of resistance to police violence in Harlem. This is part of the historical moments in policing, violence, and resistance series. Thanks to Eric Kerl for designing and laying out the publication.

In February 2012, over thirty community-based organizations in New York City came together to form “Communities United for Police Reform .” The coalition has launched a campaign to address the New York Police Department’s (NYPD) “Stop and Frisk” policies which disproportionately target innocent black and brown community residents. Police violence especially against black people in New York City is endemic and historical. As early as the 1920s, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was filing complaints about police violence against the NYPD.

From the early 20th century through the 1960s, police violence was one of the most visible symbols of racial oppression in the North. The National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, in a survey of attitudes held by residents in cities where riots broke out, reported that police practices were the major grievance, followed by unemployment and inadequate housing.

This pamphlet illustrates how police violence in fact engendered resistance from Blacks in cities like Harlem. Harlem became the epicenter of black New York and perhaps even black America at the turn of the 20th century. In Harlem, tensions with the police were a permanent part of life. In 1943, a riot was triggered by a police officer’s mistreatment of a young woman. In 1957, Malcolm X came to national prominence following an incident of police brutality. In 1964, Harlem once again went up in flames after another incident of police mistreatment of local residents.

This pamphlet focuses on these three episodes to provide some perspective about the history of police violence in New York City and particularly in Harlem in the mid-20th century. The topics are covered in an introductory manner and additional information is provided at the end for those who want to focus more in-depth.

You are the first to be able to download a copy of the pamphlet here. I’ll be talking about this publication and other resources on Saturday. Details about the event are here. If you are in Chicago, feel free to stop by.

I’ll be back to posting again on Monday. Hope you have a good weekend!