--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Following the July 1919 race riot in…" description: "\"“Following the July 1919 race riot in Washington, DC, Johnson investigated and offered this assessment of how and why peace was restored. “The Negroes ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/nicholas-johnson-37896_peace_following-the-july-1919-race-riot-in-was_1295412.png" --- # Following the July 1919 race riot in Washington, DC… ![“Following the July 1919 race riot in Washington, DC, Johnson investigated and offered this assessment of how and why peace was restored. “The Negroes saved themselves and saved Washington by their determination not to run but to fight, fight in the defense of their lives and their homes. If the…” quote by Nicholas Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/nicholas-johnson-37896_peace_following-the-july-1919-race-riot-in-was_1295412.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/nicholas-johnson-37896_peace_following-the-july-1919-race-riot-in-was_1295412.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/nicholas-johnson-37896_peace_following-the-july-1919-race-riot-in-was_1295412.png) > ““Following the July 1919 race riot in Washington, DC, Johnson investigated and offered this assessment of how and why peace was restored. “The Negroes saved themselves and saved Washington by their determination not to run but to fight, fight in the defense of their lives and their homes. If the white mob had gone unchecked—and it was only the determined effort of black men that checked it—Washington would have been another and worse East St. Louis.” The violence in DC was sparked by a rumor that a white soldier’s wife had been raped by a Negro. The city was filled with military men back from World War I. It also had been filling for some time with blacks migrating out of the South in search of something better. On a hot Saturday in mid-July, hundreds of white veterans rampaged through DC’s black neighborhoods. The violence continued two more days, peaking on Monday after an editorial from the Washington Post urged “every available serviceman to gather at Pennsylvania and Seventh Avenue at 9:00 p.m. for a cleanup that will cause the events of the last two evenings to pale into insignificance.” White servicemen answered the call and stormed through black neighborhoods in the southwest and Foggy Bottom. But the going was tougher in northwest Washington, DC, where the forewarned community was barricaded in and well-armed. As the mob approached, Negroes answered with a barrage of gunfire. The mob scattered. In the aftermath, cars were found riddled with bullet holes. Dozens of people were seriously wounded and one black man died by gunshot. Black gunfire certainly helped staunch the mob.”” [Nicholas Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Black residents defended their neighborhoods with armed resistance, preventing greater white mob violence. **In simple terms:** Black community fought back, stopping the mob. Key Takeaway Community defense can deter larger aggression. Themes race relations civil unrest self‑defense history Mood tense reflective Type historical analytical When to use this quote - community safety planning - historical education - policing strategies Key Concepts collective action racial tension urban violence Questions to Reflect On - What lessons can modern cities learn about rumor control? - How can communities prepare non‑violent defense? A Different Perspective Violence escalates when rumors spread unchecked. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Washington dc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/washington-dc/) [World war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war/) ## Related quotes > [I found myself in the middle of a race riot when I was about 14 years old, and I found someone pointing a gun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chapman/i-found-myself-in-the-middle-of-a-race-riot-when-i-was-about-14-years/) [Tracy Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chapman/) > [“I later heard somewhere, or read, that Malcolm X telephoned an apology to the reporter. 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If the white mob had gone unchecked—and it was only the determined effort of black men that checked it—Washington would have been another and worse East St. Louis.” The violence in DC was sparked by a rumor that a white soldier’s wife had been raped by a Negro. The city was filled with military men back from World War I. It also had been filling for some time with blacks migrating out of the South in search of something better. On a hot Saturday in mid-July, hundreds of white veterans rampaged through DC’s black neighborhoods. The violence continued two more days, peaking on Monday after an editorial from the Washington Post urged “every available serviceman to gather at Pennsylvania and Seventh Avenue at 9:00 p.m. for a cleanup that will cause the events of the last two evenings to pale into insignificance.” White servicemen answered the call and stormed through black neighborhoods in the southwest and Foggy Bottom. 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