Social Control in Cicero
1952; Wiley; Volume: 3; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
10.2307/586907
ISSN1468-4446
Autores Tópico(s)Race, History, and American Society
Resumo{ N THE morning of Friday, July I3, I95I, the press of America, and { )subsequently of the world, carried headline stories of a racial disturb^ ance in Cicero, Illinois, U.S.A., a tovfn with a population of 67,ooo located immediately adjacent to, and west of, Chicago. The disturbance at that time centred around the move-in of a Negro family into a flat in Cicero. The actual beginning of the resultant disorders, however, can be dated five weeks earlier. On June 8, Harvey Clark, Jr., a twenty-nine-year-old Negro war veteran, married, with two children, attempted to move his goods into a flat he had rented at 6I39 Igth Court, Cicero. According to Mr. Clark, as related in his official complaint to the Federal authorities, the following actions took place: As he arrived at the building with the moving van, local police officials, including the Cicero police chief, stopped him from entering. When he prb tested, they informed him he could not move in without a permit . Clark argued in vain against this edict and finally telephoned his solicitor, vvho assured him that there was no provision in local, state or Federal lavvs for any such permit . The police officials then bluntly ordered him and the van away, threatening him with arrest if he failed totcomply with their demand. Clark then left, after being man-handled and struck. While this action was taking place a group of residents gathered and observed the incident. About two weeks later, through the aid of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (N.A.A.C.P.), Clark obtained an injunction from Federal District Judge John P. Barnes. The injunction, carrying the weight of the Federal government, restrained the Cicero police from interfering with Clark's moving into the building and ordered them to afford him full protection from any attempt to so restrain him. The move-in, on Tuesday, July IO, was accomplished without incident except for the presence of residents of the area who stood across the street from the flat building and shouted derogatory racial epithets. On the evening of that day, a considerable crowd gathered in front of the building, again shouting abuse of a racial nature. Late in the evening, several in the crowd threw stones, breaking front windows in the Clark flat. The Clarks did not
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