The "Red Summer" refers to the summer of 1919 in the United States, which was marked by a series of violent race riots and civil unrest. The name "Red Summer" was coined by the author and civil rights activist James Weldon Johnson, who used it to describe the bloodshed and violence that characterized that summer.
During this period, African Americans who had recently migrated to northern cities from the South were met with hostility and violence from white residents, who felt threatened by the new influx of black residents. Race riots erupted in several cities, including Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Omaha, Nebraska, leaving hundreds of people dead and thousands injured.
The violence was not limited to African American communities, however. There were also clashes between white workers and immigrant communities, particularly those of Eastern European descent. These conflicts were often fueled by economic competition and tensions between different ethnic groups.
The Red Summer was a turning point in American history, as it highlighted the deep-seated racism and inequality that persisted in the country, despite the end of slavery and the Civil War. It also marked the beginning of a new era of activism and resistance, as African Americans and other marginalized groups began to organize and demand equal rights and protections under the law.
