Activists March Down Fifth Ave on Days of Outrage

Activists March Down Fifth Ave on Days of Outrage

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. Linking arms in a moment of silence in Brooklyn, the activists remembered Michael Griffith, whose tragic death sparked the outrage.

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.

January 21, 1988

Cynthia Zhang

Photograph

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