Asian American Activists March Down Fifth Ave on Days of Outrage #3
Don Kao (right), director of Project Reach (a youth and adult-run, multiracial, multi-gender, substance abuse prevention, and anti-discrimination training center), pictured with Kazu Iijima (second left), Japanese-American activist and co-founder of Asian Americans for Action in New York City, which drew from the Black Power and antiwar movements. On January 21, 1988, protesters marched down Fifth Ave, Manhattan to demonstrate against the Howard Beach verdict, where three defendants were found guilty of manslaughter in the death of Michael Griffith. Griffith, 23, was beaten and chased by a white mob onto a highway, where he was struck by a car, during an attack on December 20, 1986, in Howard Beach, a predominantly Italian and Jewish neighborhood. This attack, involving Griffith and his two companions, Cedric Sandiford and Timothy Grimes, fueled racial tensions in New York City. During the demonstration, more than 4,500 black activists, chanting slogans to the beat of pounding drums, marched in Manhattan. They handed out leaflets on commercial strips throughout the city, urging the black community to boycott white-owned stores and join the protest. Asian American activists also participated in the demonstration, showing interracial solidarity and supporting the African American community’s demand for justice and an end to racial violence. Their presence underscored the unity among different racial groups in the fight against systemic racism and highlighted the widespread call for societal change. The protests, known as the 'Days of Outrage,’ occurred in December 1987 and January 1988, marking significant moments in the city's civil rights movement.
Copyright is held by CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities.
Asian American Activists March Down Fifth Ave on Days of Outrage #2
Don Kao (second from the left), director of Project Reach (a youth and adult-run, multiracial, multi-gender, substance abuse prevention, and anti-discrimination training center), pictured with other Asian American protesters. On January 21, 1988, protesters marched down Fifth Ave, Manhattan to demonstrate against the Howard Beach verdict, where three defendants were found guilty of manslaughter in the death of Michael Griffith. Griffith, 23, was beaten and chased by a white mob onto a highway, where he was struck by a car, during an attack on December 20, 1986, in Howard Beach, a predominantly Italian and Jewish neighborhood. This attack, involving Griffith and his two companions, Cedric Sandiford and Timothy Grimes, fueled racial tensions in New York City. During the demonstration, more than 4,500 black activists, chanting slogans to the beat of pounding drums, marched in Manhattan. They handed out leaflets on commercial strips throughout the city, urging the black community to boycott white-owned stores and join the protest. Asian American activists also participated in the demonstration, showing interracial solidarity and supporting the African American community’s demand for justice and an end to racial violence. Their presence underscored the unity among different racial groups in the fight against systemic racism and highlighted the widespread call for societal change. The protests, known as the 'Days of Outrage,’ occurred in December 1987 and January 1988, marking significant moments in the city's civil rights movement.
Asian American Activists March Down Fifth Ave on Days of Outrage
Penny Fujiko Willgerodt (left), coordinator of CAAAV Newsletter Committee, holding banner that says "Stop Racial Violence." Kazu Iijima (right), Japanese-American activist and co-founder of Asian Americans for Action in New York City, which drew from the Black Power and antiwar movements). On January 21, 1988, protesters marched down Fifth Ave, Manhattan to demonstrate against the Howard Beach verdict, where three defendants were found guilty of manslaughter in the death of Michael Griffith. Griffith, 23, was beaten and chased by a white mob onto a highway, where he was struck by a car, during an attack on December 20, 1986, in Howard Beach, a predominantly Italian and Jewish neighborhood. This attack, involving Griffith and his two companions, Cedric Sandiford and Timothy Grimes, fueled racial tensions in New York City. During the demonstration, more than 4,500 black activists, chanting slogans to the beat of pounding drums, marched in Manhattan. They handed out leaflets on commercial strips throughout the city, urging the black community to boycott white-owned stores and join the protest. Asian American activists also participated in the demonstration, showing interracial solidarity and supporting the African American community’s demand for justice and an end to racial violence. Their presence underscored the unity among different racial groups in the fight against systemic racism and highlighted the widespread call for societal change. The protests, known as the 'Days of Outrage,’ occurred in December 1987 and January 1988, marking significant moments in the city's civil rights movement.
Lease Drivers Coalition Protesting Oppressive Workplace Practices #2
Debi Ray-Chaudhuri of the Lease Drivers Coalition in blue coat yelling, pictured with other LDC protesters. CAAAV formed the LDC to organize lease drivers to demand safer working conditions, medical benefits, fair hearings with the Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC), and better pay. Each week, the LDC visits garages and gas stations where cab drivers gather to hand out leaflets and questionnaires and to talk to the drivers. This demonstration took place with cab drivers and their supporters at the Susan Maintenance Garage on 6th Avenue, between Canal and Grand streets.
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Protestors at Free Saleem demonstration #3
Saleem Osman was a CAAAV organizer for the Lease Drivers Coalition. In March 1994, he was arrested for confronting the police to advocate for cab driver rights. Police dragged him out from his cab and assaulted him. This photo features Protestors demonstrating against the arrest of Saleem Osman and police violence on street. They hold banners such as "Why did the police attack Saleem", "Down with police brutality", and "South Asians demand end police brutality".
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Protestors at Free Saleem demonstration #2
Protestors walking and shouting with banners in front of the Chinese American Bank to denounce the arrest of Saleem Osman and police brutality.
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Protesters at Free Saleem demonstration #1
Saleem Osman was a CAAAV organizer for the Lease Drivers Coalition. In March 1994, he was arrested for confronting the police to advocate for cab driver rights. Police dragged him out from his cab and assaulted him. This photo features protestors stand with banners like "Stop Police Brutality" and "Not Your Target" to demonstrate against the arrest of Saleem Osman and police violence.
Lease Drivers Coalition Protesting Oppressive Workplace Practices
Debi Ray-Chaudhuri of the Lease Drivers Coalition hold Taxis into Tigers sign, Anu Advani to her left, Gayetri Gopinath behind Debi. CAAAV formed the LDC to organize lease drivers to demand safer working conditions, medical benefits, fair hearings with the Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC), and better pay. Each week, the LDC visits garages and gas stations where cab drivers gather to hand out leaflets and questionnaires and to talk to the drivers. This demonstration took place with cab drivers and their supporters at the Susan Maintenance Garage on 6th Avenue, between Canal and Grand streets.
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Saleem Osman was a CAAAV organizer for the Lease Drivers Coalition. In March 1994, he was arrested for confronting the police to advocate for cab driver rights. Police dragged him out from his cab and assaulted him. This photo shows that upon his release, Saleem Osman is speaking to drivers & Debi Ray-Chaudhuri in front of Manhattan DA’s office.
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Members of CAAAV and Yong Xin Huang's family at his memorial
Hyun Lee, Alexandra Suh, and Yong Xin Huang's mother and 3 sisters joined for a memorial in Manhattan Chinatown the day before what would have been his 17th birthday. Yong Xin Huang was a teenager shot and killed by the police in Brooklyn while playing outside with a BB gun.
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