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Chronicling America is a searchable digital collection of historic newspaper pages through 1963 sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.
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Also, see the Directory of U.S. Newspapers in American Libraries, a searchable index to newspapers published in the United States since 1690, which helps researchers identify what titles exist for a specific place and time, and how to access them.
Nearly ten thousand African Americans march in silence down New York City’s Fifth Avenue on July 28, 1917. There is no singing or chanting, just the muffled thump of drums. The silent protest follows brutal riots in East St. Louis, Ill. Organized by the newly-formed NAACP, it will go down as the first African American protest of its kind, and set the stage for future civil rights demonstrations. Read more about it!
The information in this guide focuses on primary source materials found in the digitized historic newspapers from the digital collection Chronicling America.
The timeline below highlights important dates related to this topic and a section of this guide provides some suggested search strategies for further research in the collection.
| July 1-3, 1917 | Race riot breaks out in East St. Louis, IL and rages on for days. |
|---|---|
| July 1917 | NAACP leaders James Weldon Johnson and W.E.B. DuBois form Parade Committee made up of influential members of the black community. |
| July 28, 1917 | 10,000 people silently march down 5th Ave. in New York in protest of riots, lynching, and other violence against blacks. |
| August 1, 1917 | Parade Committee brings anti-lynching petition to the White House. |
| 1917 - 1930s | Inspired by New York march, silent protests continue in cities throughout the country. |
