Howard Beach incident
The Howard Beach incident occurred on December 19, 1986, when four African American men became stranded in the predominantly white neighborhood of Howard Beach, Queens, New York. Three of the men sought help at a local pizzeria, but upon leaving, they were confronted by a group of white men who attacked them with baseball bats and other objects, while using racial slurs. The attack resulted in the death of one of the men, Michael Griffith, who was struck by a vehicle while attempting to escape. The incident led to the arrest of twelve local residents, with three being convicted of manslaughter in 1987, albeit to sentences that sparked public outrage, particularly among the African American community.
The response to the incident included significant protests, notably one led by Reverend Al Sharpton, highlighting the racial tensions of the time. This event, part of a series of racially charged incidents in New York City during the late 1980s, drew attention to issues of race relations and sparked discussions on hate crimes and their legal repercussions. The Howard Beach incident remains a pivotal moment in the dialogue surrounding racial violence in America, reflecting broader societal issues and contributing to calls for more stringent hate crime legislation.
Howard Beach incident
The Event A racially motivated attack results in the death of an African American man
Date December 20, 1986
Place New York City
One of several high-profile incidents of hate-based violence to occur during the 1980’s, the Howard Beach incident received natonal coverage and sparked a debate concerning the state of race relations in the United States in the 1980’s.
On the evening of Friday, December 19, 1986, four African American men traveling in the vicinity of Howard Beach in the borough of Queens, New York, became stranded when their automobile broke down. Three of the four men walked to the predominantly white Howard Beach neighborhood to seek help, stopping at a local pizzeria in search of a telephone. Upon emerging from the restaurant at approximately 12:40 early Saturday morning, the three African Americans were confronted by a group of approximately ten white men, who shouted racial slurs at them and began beating them with baseball bats and other objects. In the course of the attack, one of the African American men, Michael Griffith, ran into the street to escape his attackers and was struck by a passing automobile. Griffith died at the scene as a result of his injuries.
Police later arrested twelve young male residents of Howard Beach, charging them with crimes ranging from assault to murder. In December of 1987, three of the men, Jon Lester, Scott Kern, and Jason Ladone, were convicted of second-degree manslaughter and sentenced to prison terms ranging from five to thirty years. Two of the other defendants were acquitted, and the rest received light prison sentences or community service. The attack and the failure of the judicial system to convict any of the defendants of murder provoked outrage among black residents of New York City and inspired a number of protests. On December 27, a predominantly African American group of approximately twelve hundred protesters led by the Reverend Al Sharpton marched through Howard Beach. The marchers were met by a large number of local residents who shouted racial epithets and threats. Sharpton rose to national prominence as a result of the protest.
Impact
The Howard Beach incident was one of a series of high-profile incidents highlighting racial tension in the New York City area during the late 1980’s, including the murder of Yusef Hawkins in the New York City neighborhood of Bensonhurst in 1989 and the alleged racially motivated attack of teenager Tawana Brawley in 1987. Critics of American race relations and racial policy in the United States cited the incident as an example of the country’s growing racism, which many blamed upon the resurgence of political conservatism under the leadership of President Ronald Reagan. The incident contributed to calls for legislation creating special penalties for hate crimes, or violent acts motivated by racism and other social biases.
Bibliography
Jacobs, James B., and Kimberly Potter. Hate Crimes: Criminal Law and Identity Politics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.
Pinkney, Alphonso. Lest We Forget: White Hate Crimes—Howard Beach and Other Atrocities. Chicago: Third World Press, 1994.