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The Peekskill Riots Episode One: “The Mighty Oak in the Forest”
Uploaded by Tompkins Corners
On August 27th 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.
This first episode of Jon Scott Bennett's five-part docu-series introduces the story of the concerts and the headlining performer, Paul Robeson, the first and last casualty of The Peekskill Riots.
