The Peekskill Riots
Date: Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Time: 7:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M.
Location: Virtual Program
Presenter: Jon Scott Bennett
The Peekskill Riots, Episode One "The Mighty Oak in the Forest": The Story of Paul Robeson. On August 27 and September 4th, 1949, violence broke out at two concerts held outside Peekskill, NY, headlined by black singer, actor, and activist Paul Robeson. Citizens of Peekskill, galvanized by racist and anti-Semitic sentiments and disdain for Robeson’s left-wing views and campaign for civil rights, started two riots that resulted in hundreds of injuries, made national news, and unofficially marked the beginning of the McCarthy era, which would nearly erase Robeson from the public consciousness. Who was he? What did he do? What did he stand for? These questions must be answered in order to understand what brought him to Peekskill. This film serves not only as an introduction to the story of the concerts, but it will also introduce the headlining performer, Paul Robeson, the first and last casualty of The Peekskill Riots.
The program will take place on Zoom and we will email you the link, meeting ID and password prior to the event.