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Race riot erupts in Beaumont
On this day in 1943, whites and blacks clashed in Beaumont after workers
at a local shipyard learned that a white woman had accused a black man of
raping her. On the evening of June 15 more than 2,000 workers, plus
perhaps another 1,000 interested bystanders, marched toward City Hall.
Even though the woman could not identify the suspect among the blacks held
in the city jail, the workers dispersed into small bands and proceeded to
terrorize black neighborhoods in central and north Beaumont. Many blacks
were assaulted, several businesses were pillaged, a number of buildings
were burned, and more than 100 homes were ransacked. Acting Texas governor
A. M. Aikin, Jr., placed Beaumont under martial law. More than 200 people
were arrested, fifty were injured, and two--one black and one white--were
killed. Another black man died later of injuries received during the riot.
Twenty-nine of those arrested were turned over to civil authorities on
charges of assault and battery, unlawful assembly, and arson. The
remainder were released, mostly because of lack of evidence.
- Links to Related Handbook of Texas Online Articles
- BEAUMONT RIOT OF 1943
- BEAUMONT, TX
- RIOTS
- TEXAS STATE GUARD
- WORLD WAR II
- AIKIN, A. M., JR.
- Other Texas Day by Day Articles for This Date
- Texas woman becomes the first black licensed pilot (1921)
- Roberts family sells Nacogdoches landmark (1901)
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