Hunters Point Uprising - Revision history

Lisaruth: changed broken link for AAHCS on last photo caption

2022-02-04T01:02:33Z

changed broken link for AAHCS on last photo caption

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:02, 3 February 2022
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	''' Dr. Nathaniel Burbridge, Rev. G.L. Bedford, and Mr. Bill Bradley at a press conference during the civil rights movement in the mid-1960's.'''		''' Dr. Nathaniel Burbridge, Rev. G.L. Bedford, and Mr. Bill Bradley at a press conference during the civil rights movement in the mid-1960's.'''

	''Photo: courtesy of [http://www.~~sfblackhistory~~.org/ African American Historical and Cultural Society], San Francisco, CA''		''Photo: courtesy of [http://www.sfaahcs.org// African American Historical and Cultural Society], San Francisco, CA''

Ccarlsson: added link

2020-10-29T00:32:53Z

added link

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:32, 28 October 2020
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	''' Dr. Nathaniel Burbridge, Rev. G.L. Bedford, and Mr. Bill Bradley at a press conference during the civil rights movement in the mid-1960's.'''		''' Dr. Nathaniel Burbridge, Rev. G.L. Bedford, and Mr. Bill Bradley at a press conference during the civil rights movement in the mid-1960's.'''

	''~~photo~~: courtesy of [http://www.sfblackhistory.org/ African American Historical and Cultural Society], San Francisco, CA''		''Photo: courtesy of [http://www.sfblackhistory.org/ African American Historical and Cultural Society], San Francisco, CA''


			'''A Shaping San Francisco [[Talks:_Social_Movements_/_2015-2017#sep14-16\|Public Talk]] commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Rebellion, and featured several other video clips.'''


	[[Blacks in Baseball \|Prev. Document]] [[Black Panthers \|Next Document]]		[[Blacks in Baseball \|Prev. Document]] [[Black Panthers \|Next Document]]

	[[category:African-American]] [[category:1960s]] [[category:Bayview/Hunter's Point]] [[category:Western Addition]] [[category:Mission]] [[category:Potrero Hill]] [[category:riots]] [[category:dissent]]		[[category:African-American]] [[category:1960s]] [[category:Bayview/Hunter's Point]] [[category:Western Addition]] [[category:Mission]] [[category:Potrero Hill]] [[category:riots]] [[category:dissent]]

Ccarlsson: edited essay

2018-07-07T22:27:22Z

edited essay

Ccarlsson: changed riot to uprising and revolt

2018-06-27T23:25:24Z

changed riot to uprising and revolt

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:25, 27 June 2018
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	''Photo: Shaping San Francisco collection''		''Photo: Shaping San Francisco collection''

	On September 27, 1966 a ~~riot~~ broke out in San Francisco's [[Hunter's Point riot by Fleming \| Hunters Point]], a black neighborhood, when a white police officer shot and killed a seventeen-year-old African American teen, Matthew Johnson, Jr., as he fled the scene of a stolen car. Arthur Hippler wrote a book called ''Hunters Point: A Black Ghetto'' in which, among other things, he attempts to debunk the police account of the riot (which was published as a pamphlet called ''128 Hours''). This account is based partly on his.		On September 27, 1966 a revolt broke out in San Francisco's [[Hunter's Point riot by Fleming \| Hunters Point]], a black neighborhood, when a white police officer shot and killed a seventeen-year-old African American teen, Matthew Johnson, Jr., as he fled the scene of a stolen car. Arthur Hippler wrote a book called ''Hunters Point: A Black Ghetto'' in which, among other things, he attempts to debunk the police account of the riot (which was published as a pamphlet called ''128 Hours''). This account is based partly on his.

	For two hours after the shooting, a large, angry crowd milled about the site along Navy Road. The police, meanwhile, were hurrying the African Americans on the city's Human Rights Commission over to the scene. Nathaniel Burbridge of the NAACP and Tom Fleming, editor at the Sun-Reporter newspaper in the Fillmore arrived at the Bayview Opera House public meeting in the early evening where the angry crowd pressed their demands that the cop be charged with murder, a concept that was incomprehensible to the assembled authorities. By the time Mayor Shelley arrived, the restive crowd was quick to jeer him and even throw tomatoes at him. When the Mayor promised them that Patrolman Johnson had been suspended, it was too late. The lone black supervisor, Terry Francois, known as a NAACP and civil rights defense lawyer, was jeered and pelted with rocks when he appeared. Hippler quotes a young man:		For two hours after the shooting, a large, angry crowd milled about the site along Navy Road. The police, meanwhile, were hurrying the African Americans on the city's Human Rights Commission over to the scene. Nathaniel Burbridge of the NAACP and Tom Fleming, editor at the Sun-Reporter newspaper in the Fillmore arrived at the Bayview Opera House public meeting in the early evening where the angry crowd pressed their demands that the cop be charged with murder, a concept that was incomprehensible to the assembled authorities. By the time Mayor Shelley arrived, the restive crowd was quick to jeer him and even throw tomatoes at him. When the Mayor promised them that Patrolman Johnson had been suspended, it was too late. The lone black supervisor, Terry Francois, known as a NAACP and civil rights defense lawyer, was jeered and pelted with rocks when he appeared. Hippler quotes a young man:

Ccarlsson: Ccarlsson moved page The Hunters Point Riot to Hunters Point Uprising

2018-06-27T23:24:31Z

Ccarlsson moved page The Hunters Point Riot to Hunters Point Uprising

← Older revision	Revision as of 16:24, 27 June 2018
(No difference)

Ccarlsson: rewrote most of the essay

2017-11-23T04:24:15Z

rewrote most of the essay

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:24, 22 November 2017
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	'''<font face = ~~Arial~~> <font color = maroon> <font size = 3>~~Unfinished History~~</font></font> </font>'''		'''<font face = Papyrus> <font color = maroon> <font size = 4>Historical Essay</font></font> </font>'''

	''by Chris Carlsson''		''by Chris Carlsson''
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	''Photo: Shaping San Francisco collection''		''Photo: Shaping San Francisco collection''

	On September 27, 1966 a riot broke out in San Francisco's [[Hunter's Point riot by Fleming \| Hunters Point]], a black neighborhood, when a white police officer shot and killed a seventeen-year-old African American teen, Matthew Johnson, Jr., as he fled the scene of a stolen car. Arthur Hippler wrote a book called ''Hunters Point: A Black Ghetto'' in which, among other things, he attempts to debunk the police account of the riot (which was published as a pamphlet called ''128 Hours''). This account ~~closely follows~~ his:		On September 27, 1966 a riot broke out in San Francisco's [[Hunter's Point riot by Fleming \| Hunters Point]], a black neighborhood, when a white police officer shot and killed a seventeen-year-old African American teen, Matthew Johnson, Jr., as he fled the scene of a stolen car. Arthur Hippler wrote a book called ''Hunters Point: A Black Ghetto'' in which, among other things, he attempts to debunk the police account of the riot (which was published as a pamphlet called ''128 Hours''). This account is based partly on his.

	For two hours after the shooting, a large, angry crowd milled about the site along Navy Road. The police, meanwhile, were hurrying the ~~blacks~~ on the city's Human Rights Commission over to the scene.		For two hours after the shooting, a large, angry crowd milled about the site along Navy Road. The police, meanwhile, were hurrying the African Americans on the city's Human Rights Commission over to the scene. Nathaniel Burbridge of the NAACP and Tom Fleming, editor at the Sun-Reporter newspaper in the Fillmore arrived at the Bayview Opera House public meeting in the early evening where the angry crowd pressed their demands that the cop be charged with murder, a concept that was incomprehensible to the assembled authorities. By the time Mayor Shelley arrived, the restive crowd was quick to jeer him and even throw tomatoes at him. When the Mayor promised them that Patrolman Johnson had been suspended, it was too late. The lone black supervisor, Terry Francois, known as a NAACP and civil rights defense lawyer, was jeered and pelted with rocks when he appeared. Hippler quotes a young man:

	~~A meeting was held between these middle~~-~~class blacks and some of~~ the ~~angry young men~~ at the ~~nearby Economic Opportunity Center. The rioters~~ pressed their demands that the cop be charged with murder, a ~~key demand~~ that was incomprehensible to the assembled authorities. ~~The police switched to the head of Youth for Service, a sputtering group of ex-gang members, but he made no impression on the young men, who were for the most part outside any gang structure.~~

	By the time Mayor Shelley ~~promised a~~ crowd at ~~3rd near~~ the ~~Bayview Community Center~~ that Patrolman Johnson had been suspended, it was too late. The lone black supervisor, Terry Francois, known as a NAACP and civil rights defense lawyer, was jeered and pelted with rocks when he appeared. Hippler quotes a young man:

	<blockquote>''"That cocksucker forget he's black, but when we put them fuckers on the run, they sure let him know at City Hall right away. Shit, man, who the fuck he think he's fooling?"''</blockquote>		<blockquote>''"That cocksucker forget he's black, but when we put them fuckers on the run, they sure let him know at City Hall right away. Shit, man, who the fuck he think he's fooling?"''</blockquote>

	That night saw sporadic looting, rock-throwing and petty arson. "Community leaders" tried to calm the situation the next day, but ~~the cops~~ issued an ultimatum: calm by noon Wednesday or massive force would be introduced. ~~The~~ leaders, mostly part of the middle-aged matriarchy and/or their ministerial allies, had nothing to offer the rioters and their pleas for calm went unheeded.		That night saw sporadic looting, rock-throwing and petty arson. "Community leaders" tried to calm the situation the next day, but Police Chief Tom Cahill issued an ultimatum: calm by noon Wednesday or massive force would be introduced. Neighborhood leaders, mostly part of the middle-aged matriarchy and/or their ministerial allies, had nothing to offer the rioters and their pleas for calm went unheeded.

	[[Image:Protesters in the 1966 Bayview-Hunters Point riots AAK-1648.jpg]]		[[Image:Protesters in the 1966 Bayview-Hunters Point riots AAK-1648.jpg]]
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	''Photo: San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library''		''Photo: San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library''

	Around six in the evening, a few hours after ~~calling in~~ the National Guard and Highway Patrol, the police responded to alleged gunfire by opening up on the Bayview Community Center and surrounding buildings. After riddling it with hundreds of bullets the police found no gunmen or weapons but only several pre-teen kids huddling in the corner.		Around six in the evening, a few hours after Governor Pat Brown authorized the use of the National Guard and Highway Patrol, the police responded to alleged gunfire by opening up on the Bayview Community Center and surrounding buildings. After riddling it with hundreds of bullets the police found no gunmen or weapons but only several pre-teen kids huddling in the corner. The long suppressed anger over the abysmal status imposed on African Americans was uncontainable, but even still the riot was for the most part not terribly violent.

	~~This broke~~ the ~~"holiday mood"~~ and the ~~riot became a simple race confrontation~~, as the ~~community had every reason to assume~~ the ~~police were trying to kill them~~, and ~~the police could no longer distinguish friend from foe except on racial terms~~. The ~~long suppressed anger over the abysmal status imposed on black Americans~~ was ~~uncontainable~~, ~~but even still~~ the ~~riot was for~~ the most ~~part not terribly violent~~.		The next three days, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Sept. 29-Oct. 1 saw Martial Law imposed on the Bayview and the Fillmore, with young armed national guard troops patrolling the streets in jeeps with machine guns mounted on the back. The riot continued with a decreasing incidence of violence, and then finally petered out. The property damage (several hundred thousand dollars) compared with riots in comparably sized cities was minimal, as were the casualties (ten civilians reported victims of gunshot wounds, no casualties among the police or other antiriot personnel)... Like most urban riots it consisted primarily of running around and breaking windows and sacking unpopular establishments.

	~~The next three days, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Sept. 29-Oct. 1 saw~~ the ~~riot continue with a decreasing incidence~~ of ~~violence~~, ~~and then finally peter out. The property damage (several hundred thousand dollars) compared with riots in comparably sized cities was minimal~~, as were the ~~casualties (ten civilians reported victims~~ of ~~gunshot wounds, no casualties among the police or other antiriot personnel)~~... ~~Like its counterparts~~ in ~~Watts, it consisted - with few exceptions -~~ of ~~attacks on~~ the ~~property of whites~~ (~~but also of nonwhites)~~, ~~shows of bravado calculated to frighten and cow police~~, and ~~enough running around~~ and ~~breaking windows to give~~ the ~~participants a feeling~~ of ~~real potency while actually not confronting white power in any significant way~~.		Perhaps the best indication of the unreasonable magnitude of white fears at the time is the fact that, aside from long-range brick throwing, less than a half dozen assaults by blacks against whites were recorded in the course of five days of rioting... Also, the fact that the riots took part in all parts of the city with sizeable black populations (the Mission district, the Potrero Hill area, the huge Fillmore district—which today includes the lower Haight and North of the Panhandle areas) and yet resulted in so few injuries indicates the targeted nature of the protests, which mostly were directed at police and unfriendly businesses.

	[[Image:Officer aiming a gun at night during the 1966 Bayview-Hunters Point riots AAK-1657.jpg]]		[[Image:Officer aiming a gun at night during the 1966 Bayview-Hunters Point riots AAK-1657.jpg]]
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	''Photo: San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library''		''Photo: San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library''

	Perhaps the best indication of both the essentially passive character of the response of black males in Hunters Point and the unreasonable magnitude of white fears is the fact that, aside from long-range brick throwing, less than a half dozen assaults by blacks against whites were recorded in the course of five days of ''rioting''... Also, the fact that the riots took part in all parts of the city with sizeable black populations (the Mission district, the Potrero Hill area, the huge Fillmore district) and yet resulted in so few injuries indicates the presence of some restraining factor other than the police. I suggest it was the black rioters internalized fear of whites, so difficult to break down, coupled with a ''holiday mood''. [Emphasis added]

	The police had, until the early sixties, dealt with black youth from Hunter's Point by isolating them there. One officer is quoted by Hippler on his technique:		The police had, until the early sixties, dealt with black youth from Hunter's Point by isolating them there. One officer is quoted by Hippler on his technique:
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	''Video: Shaping San Francisco''		''Video: Shaping San Francisco''

	At the outbreaks of the riots, in spite of their being city-wide, the same tactic was used. ~~Blacks~~, no matter who they were or what their reason for being in the area of Third Street, were either arrested or herded back up the hill. ~~Hippler claims that it was commonly held, even among more mainstream middle class blacks in the area, that they were being herded onto the hill to be bombarded by Navy vessels in the Bay!~~		At the outbreaks of the riots, in spite of their being city-wide, the same tactic was used. African Americans, no matter who they were or what their reason for being in the area of Third Street, were either arrested or herded back up the hill. The police rank-and-file assumed a war footing, heavily framed by their essentially racist outlook. While the brass made various mediation attempts, the cops on the street saw an undifferentiated mass of hostile enemies and behaved accordingly.

	~~As has proven common in SF riots, the~~ police rank-and-file assumed a war footing, heavily framed by their essentially racist outlook. While the brass made various mediation attempts, the cops on the street saw an undifferentiated mass of hostile enemies and behaved accordingly.

	<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k86MclBz7_4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>		<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k86MclBz7_4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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	''Video by Dante Higgins, originally posted in 2009 on the [http://sfbayview.com/2009/09/1966-hunters-point-uprising-and-other-tales-of-san-franciscos-last-black-neighborhood/ San Francisco Bay View] website''		''Video by Dante Higgins, originally posted in 2009 on the [http://sfbayview.com/2009/09/1966-hunters-point-uprising-and-other-tales-of-san-franciscos-last-black-neighborhood/ San Francisco Bay View] website''

	Immediately after the riot, many Hunter's Point residents hoped that it would lead to greater solidarity among community groups. Actually the opposite occurred: greater community disintegration resulted. The general belief that "nobody cares" and "it's too late to do anything" became widespread~~. Some came to see the apparent opening to white society as another case of white hypocrisy and double-dealing~~. Automatic weapons, portable artillery, and federal troops, i.e. military occupation, offered a vivid demonstration of ~~to what lengths society~~ would go in the attempt to contain black rage. Very few community organizations continued functioning in Hunters Point immediately after the riots, though they began to re-emerge in the following years. Meanwhile, [[Hunter's Point riot by Fleming \|the riot itself]] ~~has~~ disappeared down the memory hole and few remember it and fewer discuss it as a meaningful event in the history of San Francisco.		Immediately after the riot, many Hunter's Point residents hoped that it would lead to greater solidarity among community groups. Actually the opposite occurred: greater community disintegration resulted. This was reinforced when the insurance industry refused to underwrite the losses incurred by business owners in the Bayview Hunter’s Point area. The general belief that "nobody cares" and "it's too late to do anything" became widespread. Automatic weapons, portable artillery, and federal troops, i.e. military occupation, offered a vivid demonstration of how far San Francisco would go in the attempt to contain black rage. Very few community organizations continued functioning in Hunters Point immediately after the riots, though they began to re-emerge in the following years. Meanwhile, [[Hunter's Point riot by Fleming \|the riot itself]] disappeared down the memory hole and few remember it and fewer discuss it as a meaningful event in the history of San Francisco.

	[[Image:aframer1$1960s-leaders.jpg]]		[[Image:aframer1$1960s-leaders.jpg]]

Ccarlsson: added Darrell Rogers video on HP uprising

2016-09-12T05:21:21Z

added Darrell Rogers video on HP uprising

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:21, 11 September 2016
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	The police had, until the early sixties, dealt with black youth from Hunter's Point by isolating them there. One officer is quoted by Hippler on his technique:		The police had, until the early sixties, dealt with black youth from Hunter's Point by isolating them there. One officer is quoted by Hippler on his technique:

	''"Get back upon the hill where you belong, nigger. If I see your black ass down here again, I'll shoot it off!"''		<blockquote>''"Get back upon the hill where you belong, nigger. If I see your black ass down here again, I'll shoot it off!"''</blockquote>

			<iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/DarrellRogersOnHPUprising" width="640" height="480" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" allowfullscreen></iframe>

			'''San Francisco native Darrell Rogers (b. 1945 in the Fillmore) describes the Hunter's Point uprising from his point of view.'''

			''Video: Shaping San Francisco''

	At the outbreaks of the riots, in spite of their being city-wide, the same tactic was used. Blacks, no matter who they were or what their reason for being in the area of Third Street, were either arrested or herded back up the hill. Hippler claims that it was commonly held, even among more mainstream middle class blacks in the area, that they were being herded onto the hill to be bombarded by Navy vessels in the Bay!		At the outbreaks of the riots, in spite of their being city-wide, the same tactic was used. Blacks, no matter who they were or what their reason for being in the area of Third Street, were either arrested or herded back up the hill. Hippler claims that it was commonly held, even among more mainstream middle class blacks in the area, that they were being herded onto the hill to be bombarded by Navy vessels in the Bay!

Ccarlsson at 21:52, 9 September 2016

2016-09-09T21:52:12Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:52, 9 September 2016
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	'''Taken from the documentary "Bay View Hunter's Point: San Francisco's Last Black Neighborhood?" In September of 1966 BVHP explodes with outrage over the police shooting of young resident, Matthew Johnson.'''		'''Taken from the documentary "Bay View Hunter's Point: San Francisco's Last Black Neighborhood?" In September of 1966 BVHP explodes with outrage over the police shooting of young resident, Matthew Johnson.'''

	''Video by Dante Higgins''		''Video by Dante Higgins, originally posted in 2009 on the [http://sfbayview.com/2009/09/1966-hunters-point-uprising-and-other-tales-of-san-franciscos-last-black-neighborhood/ San Francisco Bay View] website''

	Immediately after the riot, many Hunter's Point residents hoped that it would lead to greater solidarity among community groups. Actually the opposite occurred: greater community disintegration resulted. The general belief that "nobody cares" and "it's too late to do anything" became widespread. Some came to see the apparent opening to white society as another case of white hypocrisy and double-dealing. Automatic weapons, portable artillery, and federal troops, i.e. military occupation, offered a vivid demonstration of to what lengths society would go in the attempt to contain black rage. Very few community organizations continued functioning in Hunters Point immediately after the riots, though they began to re-emerge in the following years. Meanwhile, [[Hunter's Point riot by Fleming \|the riot itself]] has disappeared down the memory hole and few remember it and fewer discuss it as a meaningful event in the history of San Francisco.		Immediately after the riot, many Hunter's Point residents hoped that it would lead to greater solidarity among community groups. Actually the opposite occurred: greater community disintegration resulted. The general belief that "nobody cares" and "it's too late to do anything" became widespread. Some came to see the apparent opening to white society as another case of white hypocrisy and double-dealing. Automatic weapons, portable artillery, and federal troops, i.e. military occupation, offered a vivid demonstration of to what lengths society would go in the attempt to contain black rage. Very few community organizations continued functioning in Hunters Point immediately after the riots, though they began to re-emerge in the following years. Meanwhile, [[Hunter's Point riot by Fleming \|the riot itself]] has disappeared down the memory hole and few remember it and fewer discuss it as a meaningful event in the history of San Francisco.

Ccarlsson: added Dante Higgins video part 3

2016-09-09T18:46:31Z

added Dante Higgins video part 3

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:46, 9 September 2016
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	As has proven common in SF riots, the police rank-and-file assumed a war footing, heavily framed by their essentially racist outlook. While the brass made various mediation attempts, the cops on the street saw an undifferentiated mass of hostile enemies and behaved accordingly.		As has proven common in SF riots, the police rank-and-file assumed a war footing, heavily framed by their essentially racist outlook. While the brass made various mediation attempts, the cops on the street saw an undifferentiated mass of hostile enemies and behaved accordingly.

			<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k86MclBz7_4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

			'''Taken from the documentary "Bay View Hunter's Point: San Francisco's Last Black Neighborhood?" In September of 1966 BVHP explodes with outrage over the police shooting of young resident, Matthew Johnson.'''

			''Video by Dante Higgins''

	Immediately after the riot, many Hunter's Point residents hoped that it would lead to greater solidarity among community groups. Actually the opposite occurred: greater community disintegration resulted. The general belief that "nobody cares" and "it's too late to do anything" became widespread. Some came to see the apparent opening to white society as another case of white hypocrisy and double-dealing. Automatic weapons, portable artillery, and federal troops, i.e. military occupation, offered a vivid demonstration of to what lengths society would go in the attempt to contain black rage. Very few community organizations continued functioning in Hunters Point immediately after the riots, though they began to re-emerge in the following years. Meanwhile, [[Hunter's Point riot by Fleming \|the riot itself]] has disappeared down the memory hole and few remember it and fewer discuss it as a meaningful event in the history of San Francisco.		Immediately after the riot, many Hunter's Point residents hoped that it would lead to greater solidarity among community groups. Actually the opposite occurred: greater community disintegration resulted. The general belief that "nobody cares" and "it's too late to do anything" became widespread. Some came to see the apparent opening to white society as another case of white hypocrisy and double-dealing. Automatic weapons, portable artillery, and federal troops, i.e. military occupation, offered a vivid demonstration of to what lengths society would go in the attempt to contain black rage. Very few community organizations continued functioning in Hunters Point immediately after the riots, though they began to re-emerge in the following years. Meanwhile, [[Hunter's Point riot by Fleming \|the riot itself]] has disappeared down the memory hole and few remember it and fewer discuss it as a meaningful event in the history of San Francisco.

Ccarlsson at 05:41, 6 September 2016

2016-09-06T05:41:28Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:41, 5 September 2016
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	''Photo: Shaping San Francisco collection''		''Photo: Shaping San Francisco collection''

	On September 27, 1966 a riot broke out in San Francisco's [[Hunter's Point riot by Fleming \| Hunters Point]], a black neighborhood, when a white police officer shot and killed a seventeen-year-old ~~black~~ as he fled the scene of a stolen car. Arthur Hippler wrote a book called ''Hunters Point: A Black Ghetto'' in which, among other things, he attempts to debunk the police account of the riot (which was published as a pamphlet called ''128 Hours''). This account closely follows his:		On September 27, 1966 a riot broke out in San Francisco's [[Hunter's Point riot by Fleming \| Hunters Point]], a black neighborhood, when a white police officer shot and killed a seventeen-year-old African American teen, Matthew Johnson, Jr., as he fled the scene of a stolen car. Arthur Hippler wrote a book called ''Hunters Point: A Black Ghetto'' in which, among other things, he attempts to debunk the police account of the riot (which was published as a pamphlet called ''128 Hours''). This account closely follows his:

	For two hours after the shooting, a large, angry crowd milled about the site along Navy Road. The police, meanwhile, were hurrying the blacks on the city's Human Rights Commission over to the scene.		For two hours after the shooting, a large, angry crowd milled about the site along Navy Road. The police, meanwhile, were hurrying the blacks on the city's Human Rights Commission over to the scene.
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	By the time Mayor Shelley promised a crowd at 3rd near the Bayview Community Center that Patrolman Johnson had been suspended, it was too late. The lone black supervisor, Terry Francois, known as a NAACP and civil rights defense lawyer, was jeered and pelted with rocks when he appeared. Hippler quotes a young man:		By the time Mayor Shelley promised a crowd at 3rd near the Bayview Community Center that Patrolman Johnson had been suspended, it was too late. The lone black supervisor, Terry Francois, known as a NAACP and civil rights defense lawyer, was jeered and pelted with rocks when he appeared. Hippler quotes a young man:

	''"That cocksucker forget he's black, but when we put them fuckers on the run, they sure let him know at City Hall right away. Shit, man, who the fuck he think he's fooling?"''		<blockquote>''"That cocksucker forget he's black, but when we put them fuckers on the run, they sure let him know at City Hall right away. Shit, man, who the fuck he think he's fooling?"''</blockquote>

	That night saw sporadic looting, rock-throwing and petty arson. "Community leaders" tried to calm the situation the next day, but the cops issued an ultimatum: calm by noon Wednesday or massive force would be introduced. The leaders, mostly part of the middle-aged matriarchy and/or their ministerial allies, had nothing to offer the rioters and their pleas for calm went unheeded.		That night saw sporadic looting, rock-throwing and petty arson. "Community leaders" tried to calm the situation the next day, but the cops issued an ultimatum: calm by noon Wednesday or massive force would be introduced. The leaders, mostly part of the middle-aged matriarchy and/or their ministerial allies, had nothing to offer the rioters and their pleas for calm went unheeded.

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:27, 7 July 2018
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	''Photo: Shaping San Francisco collection''		''Photo: Shaping San Francisco collection''

	On September 27, 1966 ~~a revolt broke out in San Francisco's [[Hunter's Point riot by Fleming \| Hunters Point]], a black neighborhood, when~~ a white police officer shot and killed a seventeen-year-old African American teen, Matthew Johnson, Jr., as he fled the scene of a stolen car. Arthur Hippler wrote a book called ''Hunters Point: A Black Ghetto'' in which, among other things, he attempts to debunk the police account of the ~~riot~~ (which was published as a pamphlet called ''128 Hours''). This account is based partly on his.		On September 27, 1966 a white police officer shot and killed a seventeen-year-old African American teen, Matthew Johnson, Jr., as he fled the scene of a stolen car. Arthur Hippler wrote a book called ''Hunters Point: A Black Ghetto'' in which, among other things, he attempts to debunk the police account of the uprising (which was published as a pamphlet called ''128 Hours''). This account is based partly on his.

	For two hours after the shooting, a large, angry crowd milled about the site along Navy Road. The police, meanwhile, were hurrying the African Americans on the city's Human Rights Commission over to the scene. Nathaniel Burbridge of the NAACP and Tom Fleming, editor at the Sun-Reporter newspaper in the Fillmore arrived at the Bayview Opera House public meeting in the early evening where the angry crowd pressed their demands that the cop be charged with murder, a concept that was incomprehensible to the assembled authorities. By the time Mayor Shelley arrived, the restive crowd was quick to jeer him and even throw tomatoes at him. When the Mayor promised them that Patrolman Johnson had been suspended, it was too late. The lone black supervisor, Terry Francois, known as a NAACP and civil rights defense lawyer, was jeered and pelted with rocks when he appeared. ~~Hippler quotes a young man:~~		For two hours after the shooting, a large, angry crowd milled about the site along Navy Road. The police, meanwhile, were hurrying the African Americans on the city's Human Rights Commission over to the scene. Nathaniel Burbridge of the NAACP and Tom Fleming, editor at the ''Sun-Reporter'' newspaper in the Fillmore arrived at the Bayview Opera House public meeting in the early evening where the angry crowd pressed their demands that the cop be charged with murder, a concept that was incomprehensible to the assembled authorities. By the time Mayor Shelley arrived, the restive crowd was quick to jeer him and even throw tomatoes at him. When the Mayor promised them that Patrolman Johnson had been suspended, it was too late. The lone black supervisor, Terry Francois, known as a NAACP and civil rights defense lawyer, was jeered and pelted with rocks when he appeared.

	<blockquote>''"That cocksucker forget he's black, but when we put them fuckers on the run, they sure let him know at City Hall right away. Shit, man, who the fuck he think he's fooling?"''</blockquote>		That night saw sporadic looting, rock-throwing and petty arson. "Community leaders" tried to calm the situation the next day, but Police Chief Tom Cahill issued an ultimatum: calm by noon Wednesday or massive force would be introduced. Neighborhood leaders, mostly part of the middle-aged matriarchy and/or their ministerial allies, had nothing to offer the rebels and their pleas for calm went unheeded.

	That night saw sporadic looting, rock-throwing and petty arson. "Community leaders" tried to calm the situation the next day, but Police Chief Tom Cahill issued an ultimatum: calm by noon Wednesday or massive force would be introduced. Neighborhood leaders, mostly part of the middle-aged matriarchy and/or their ministerial allies, had nothing to offer the ~~rioters~~ and their pleas for calm went unheeded.

	[[Image:Protesters in the 1966 Bayview-Hunters Point riots AAK-1648.jpg]]		[[Image:Protesters in the 1966 Bayview-Hunters Point riots AAK-1648.jpg]]
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	''Photo: San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library''		''Photo: San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library''

	Around six in the evening, a few hours after Governor Pat Brown authorized the use of the National Guard and Highway Patrol, the police responded to alleged gunfire by opening up on the Bayview Community Center and surrounding buildings. After riddling it with hundreds of bullets the police found no gunmen or weapons but only several pre-teen kids huddling in the corner. The long suppressed anger over the abysmal status imposed on African Americans was uncontainable, but even still the ~~riot~~ was for the most part not terribly violent.		Around six in the evening, a few hours after Governor Pat Brown authorized the use of the National Guard and Highway Patrol, the police responded to alleged gunfire by opening up on the Bayview Community Center and surrounding buildings. After riddling it with hundreds of bullets the police found no gunmen or weapons but only several pre-teen kids huddling in the corner. The long suppressed anger over the abysmal status imposed on African Americans was uncontainable, but even still the action was for the most part not terribly violent.

	~~The~~ next three days, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Sept. 29-Oct. 1 ~~saw Martial Law~~ imposed on the Bayview and the Fillmore, with young armed national guard troops patrolling the streets in jeeps with machine guns mounted on the back. The ~~riot~~ continued with a decreasing ~~incidence of~~ violence, and then finally petered out. The property damage (several hundred thousand dollars) compared with riots in comparably sized cities was minimal, as were the casualties (ten civilians reported victims of gunshot wounds, no casualties among the police or other antiriot personnel)... Like most urban ~~riots~~ it consisted primarily of running around and breaking windows and sacking unpopular establishments.		During the next three days, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Sept. 29-Oct. 1, martial law imposed on the Bayview and the Fillmore, with young armed national guard troops patrolling the streets in jeeps with machine guns mounted on the back. The rebellion continued with decreasing violence, and then finally petered out. The property damage (several hundred thousand dollars) compared with riots in comparably sized cities was minimal, as were the casualties (ten civilians reported victims of gunshot wounds, no casualties among the police or other antiriot personnel)... Like most urban uprisings it consisted primarily of running around and breaking windows and sacking unpopular establishments.

	Perhaps the best indication of the unreasonable magnitude of white fears at the time is the fact that, aside from long-range brick throwing, less than a half dozen assaults by blacks against whites were recorded in the course of five days of rioting... Also, the fact that the ~~riots~~ took part in all parts of the city with sizeable black populations (the Mission district, the Potrero Hill area, the huge Fillmore district—which today includes the lower Haight and North of the Panhandle areas) and yet resulted in so few injuries indicates the targeted nature of the protests, which mostly were directed at police and unfriendly businesses.		Perhaps the best indication of the unreasonable magnitude of white fears at the time is the fact that, aside from long-range brick throwing, less than a half dozen assaults by blacks against whites were recorded in the course of five days of rioting... Also, the fact that the action took part in all parts of the city with sizeable black populations (the Mission district, the Potrero Hill area, the huge Fillmore district—which today includes the lower Haight and North of the Panhandle areas) and yet resulted in so few injuries indicates the targeted nature of the protests, which mostly were directed at police and unfriendly businesses.

	[[Image:Officer aiming a gun at night during the 1966 Bayview-Hunters Point riots AAK-1657.jpg]]		[[Image:Officer aiming a gun at night during the 1966 Bayview-Hunters Point riots AAK-1657.jpg]]
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	''Photo: San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library''		''Photo: San Francisco History Center, SF Public Library''

	~~The police had, until the early sixties, dealt with black youth from Hunter's Point by isolating them there. One officer is quoted by Hippler on his technique:~~

	~~<blockquote>''"Get back upon the hill where you belong, nigger. If I see your black ass down here again, I'll shoot it off!"''</blockquote>~~

	<iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/DarrellRogersOnHPUprising" width="640" height="480" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" allowfullscreen></iframe>		<iframe src="https://archive.org/embed/DarrellRogersOnHPUprising" width="640" height="480" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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	''Video: Shaping San Francisco''		''Video: Shaping San Francisco''

	At the ~~outbreaks~~ of the ~~riots~~, in spite of ~~their being~~ city-wide, the same tactic was used. African Americans, no matter who they were or what their reason for being in the area of Third Street, were either arrested or herded back up the hill. The police rank-and-file assumed a war footing, heavily framed by their essentially racist outlook. While the brass made various mediation attempts, the cops on the street saw an undifferentiated mass of hostile enemies and behaved accordingly.		The police had, until the early sixties, dealt with black youth from Hunter's Point by isolating them there. At the outbreak of the uprising, in spite of happening city-wide, the same tactic was used. African Americans, no matter who they were or what their reason for being in the area of Third Street, were either arrested or herded back up the hill. The police rank-and-file assumed a war footing, heavily framed by their essentially racist outlook. While the brass made various mediation attempts, the cops on the street saw an undifferentiated mass of hostile enemies and behaved accordingly.

	<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k86MclBz7_4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>		<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k86MclBz7_4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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	''Video by Dante Higgins, originally posted in 2009 on the [http://sfbayview.com/2009/09/1966-hunters-point-uprising-and-other-tales-of-san-franciscos-last-black-neighborhood/ San Francisco Bay View] website''		''Video by Dante Higgins, originally posted in 2009 on the [http://sfbayview.com/2009/09/1966-hunters-point-uprising-and-other-tales-of-san-franciscos-last-black-neighborhood/ San Francisco Bay View] website''

	Immediately after the ~~riot~~, many Hunter's Point residents hoped that it would lead to greater solidarity among community groups. Actually the opposite occurred: greater community disintegration resulted. This was reinforced when the insurance industry refused to underwrite the losses incurred by business owners in the Bayview Hunter’s Point area. The general belief that "nobody cares" and "it's too late to do anything" became widespread. Automatic weapons, portable artillery, and federal troops, i.e. military occupation, offered a vivid demonstration of how far San Francisco would go in the attempt to contain black rage. Very few community organizations continued functioning in Hunters Point immediately ~~after the riots~~, though they began to re-emerge in the following years. Meanwhile, [[Hunter's Point riot by Fleming \|the ~~riot~~ itself]] disappeared down the memory hole ~~and few remember it and fewer discuss it as a meaningful event in the history of San Francisco~~.		Immediately after the five-day upheaval, many Hunter's Point residents hoped that it would lead to greater solidarity among community groups. Actually the opposite occurred: greater community disintegration resulted. This was reinforced when the insurance industry refused to underwrite the losses incurred by business owners in the Bayview Hunter’s Point area. The general belief that "nobody cares" and "it's too late to do anything" became widespread. Automatic weapons, portable artillery, and federal troops, i.e. military occupation, offered a vivid demonstration of how far San Francisco would go in the attempt to contain black rage. Very few community organizations continued functioning in Hunters Point immediately afterwards, though they began to re-emerge in the following years. Meanwhile, [[Hunter's Point riot by Fleming \|the Hunters Point Uprising itself]] disappeared down the memory hole.

	[[Image:aframer1$1960s-leaders.jpg]]		[[Image:aframer1$1960s-leaders.jpg]]