Will Mack, Author at BlackPast

Will Mack

Student Historian

Will Mack is a graduate student at Southern New Hampshire University and will receive his MA in United States history in the spring of 2018. Will plans on advancing to a doctoral program in the fall of 2019 to focus on African American history, the civil rights movement, radicalism, the development of the carceral state, and labor history in the US. Will received his BA in history from Rutgers University-New Brunswick, New Jersey in 1999 and grew up in New York City.

Bobby Hutton (1950-1968)

Robert James Hutton, also known as Bobby or Lil’ Bobby, was the first treasurer and recruit of the Black Panther Party(BPP) at just 16 years old. He was also the first member of the Party killed by the police. Hutton was born in Jefferson County, Arkansas, to John D. … Read MoreBobby Hutton (1950-1968)

Wayland Rudd (1900-1952)

Wayland Rudd was an American-born actor who moved to the Soviet Union in 1932 as part of a group of 22 African Americans called the “Black and White Film Club.” Before moving to the Soviet Union, Rudd gained recognition for his roles in The Emperor Jones and Othelloand appeared in a number … Read MoreWayland Rudd (1900-1952)

Richard Williams (?-?)

In the 1920s and 1930s a number of African Americans moved to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) because the new Communist government promised a level of racial equality that didn’t exist in the United States at that time. Many of them also believed they could use their … Read MoreRichard Williams (?-?)

Grand Rapids Uprising (1967)

Grand Rapids Uprising, 1967 Image Ownership: Public domain The 1967 Grand Rapids Uprising occurred on July 25, 1967 in a predominantly black and impoverished neighborhood in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The uprising came only days after the much larger uprising in Detroit, Michigan but a post-riot official report titled … Read MoreGrand Rapids Uprising (1967)

The Central Park Five (1989)

The Central Park Five was a group of five juvenile males, four African Americans, Yusef Salaam, 16, Anthony McCray, 16, Kharey Wise, 18, and Kevin Richardson, 16, and one Hispanic, Raymond Santana, 15, all from the New York City, New York neighborhood of Harlem, who were variously … Read MoreThe Central Park Five (1989)

Hunter’s Point, San Francisco Uprising (1966)

Women Flee the Hunter’s Point Riot Area, 1966 Image Ownership: Public domain The Hunter’s Point Uprising in 1966 began September 27 and lasted for three days. At that time, it was the largest riot in San Francisco, California since the anti-Chinese riots almost 90 years earlier. The uprising began when police … Read MoreHunter’s Point, San Francisco Uprising (1966)

Chicago, Illinois Uprising (1966)

Temporary Swimming Pool Installed on Chicago’s West Side in the Aftermath of the Chicago Uprising Image Ownership: Public domain The 1966 Chicago, Illinois uprising, also known as the West Side Riot, began on July 12 after police and African American youth clashed over the youth opening fire … Read MoreChicago, Illinois Uprising (1966)

Elizabeth, New Jersey Uprising (1964)

Two Elizabeth Policemen Arrest a Black Teenager During the Elizabeth Riot, August 12, 1964 Image Ownership: Public domain The 1964 Elizabeth, New Jersey uprising lasted from August 11 to 13. The three-day uprising occurred simultaneously with a separate clash in nearby Paterson, New Jersey and both, according to the … Read MoreElizabeth, New Jersey Uprising (1964)

New Orleans Dockworkers Riot (1894-1895)

Newspaper Account of the Dockworkers Riot, 1895 Image Ownership: Public domain The 1895 New Orleans Dockworkers Riot was a racially motivated attack on non-union black dockworkers by white dockworkers and their sympathizers. The riot occurred in New Orleans, Louisiana from March 9 through 12, 1895 and marked the end … Read MoreNew Orleans Dockworkers Riot (1894-1895)

Paterson, New Jersey Uprising (1964)

Image Ownership: Public domain The 1964 Paterson, New Jersey uprising lasted from August 11 to 14. The uprising occurred simultaneously with a separate uprising in nearby Elizabeth, New Jersey and both, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), were the consequence of the larger uprisings in New York … Read MorePaterson, New Jersey Uprising (1964)