1967 Philadelphia Student Demonstrations
Encyclopedia
The 1967 Philadelphia Student Demonstrations was a student strike
and subsequent police riot
which took place on November 17th, 1967. The demonstration was part of a larger trend of racial tension and unrest
in the United States during the 1960s.
and the forced vocational education
system which affected African-American students at that time.
The Student Action Committee (SAC) was another organizing force behind the demonstrations. It was made up of high school students from various schools across Philadelphia. SAC met for at least three years before the demonstration, and published and distributed a student-run newsletter. SAC was active in a number of demonstrations in that period, such as the Philadelphia Post Office
demonstration to demand African-Americans to be hired on an equal basis, the Girard College
integration
marches, various civil rights marches as well as a number of anti-war marches
CCC was in negotiations with public school superintendent Marc Shedd, who was known as a reformer, for at least a year before the demonstration. A number of demands had been presented to school administrators at meetings held on North Broad Street
. The issue of ending vocational tracking and other situations were drew supporters from all areas of the city of Philadelphia. Other demands included the removal of uniformed police
officers from public schools, and the addition of African-American studies to the curriculum. The CCC also met with white students a number of times outside and inside Philadelphia to discuss joint demands for a student bill of rights
.
Lack of action after those discussions with the school board prompted the November demonstration.
The demonstrators were met by two busloads of police, and the encounter quickly turned violent. Twenty-two people were seriously injured and 57 were arrested.
The Commissioner of Police Frank Rizzo
was on the scene, and witnesses quoted him as telling his officers to “Get their Black asses!”
, in the decision to attack the students at the Philadelphia school board demonstration as opposed to a riot which had occurred in a white community.
At least two court cases were filed against the Philadelphia Police Department for their role in the riot: Heard et al. v Rizzo et al. and Traylor et al. v. Rizzo et al.
Frank Rizzo was exposed to direct and intense criticism for the actions of the police at that demonstration, but he was also credited with keeping the peace. He was later elected Mayor of Philadelphia.
Mark Shedd made some initial reforms in the aftermath of the riot, including granting student demands for draft
-counseling services, drafting a students’ bill of rights, and granting them a voice in curriculum and disciplinary procedures. However, his reforms were not well-received, and he was eventually forced to resign.
Student strike
A student strike occurs when students enrolled at a teaching institution such as a school, college or university refuse to go to class. This form of strike action is often used as a negotiating tactic in order to put pressure on the governing body of the university, particularly in countries where...
and subsequent police riot
Police riot
A police riot is a confrontation between police and civilians. The term can also describe a riot by civilians caused or instigated by police...
which took place on November 17th, 1967. The demonstration was part of a larger trend of racial tension and unrest
Race riot
A race riot or racial riot is an outbreak of violent civil disorder in which race is a key factor. A phenomenon frequently confused with the concept of 'race riot' is sectarian violence, which involves public mass violence or conflict over non-racial factors.-United States:The term had entered the...
in the United States during the 1960s.
Causes
The demonstration was led and planned, in part, by the student-run and organized Central Coordinating Committee (CCC). The CCC demanded better schools for all students in Philadelphia, especially African-Americans, and an end to trackingTracking (education)
Tracking is separating pupils by academic ability into groups for all subjects or certain classes and curriculum within a school. It may be referred as streaming or phasing in certain schools. In a tracking system, the entire school population is assigned to classes according to whether the...
and the forced vocational education
Vocational education
Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...
system which affected African-American students at that time.
The Student Action Committee (SAC) was another organizing force behind the demonstrations. It was made up of high school students from various schools across Philadelphia. SAC met for at least three years before the demonstration, and published and distributed a student-run newsletter. SAC was active in a number of demonstrations in that period, such as the Philadelphia Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
demonstration to demand African-Americans to be hired on an equal basis, the Girard College
Girard College
Girard College is an independent boarding school on a 43-acre campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States.Girard is for academically capable students, grades one through 12, and awards a full scholarship with a yearly value of approximately $42,000 to every child admitted to the...
integration
Racial integration
Racial integration, or simply integration includes desegregation . In addition to desegregation, integration includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws on diverse traditions, rather than merely...
marches, various civil rights marches as well as a number of anti-war marches
CCC was in negotiations with public school superintendent Marc Shedd, who was known as a reformer, for at least a year before the demonstration. A number of demands had been presented to school administrators at meetings held on North Broad Street
Broad Street (Philadelphia)
Broad Street is a major arterial street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is nearly 13 miles long.It is Pennsylvania Route 611 along its entire length with the exception of its northernmost part between Old York Road and Pennsylvania Route 309 and the southernmost part south of Interstate 95...
. The issue of ending vocational tracking and other situations were drew supporters from all areas of the city of Philadelphia. Other demands included the removal of uniformed police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
officers from public schools, and the addition of African-American studies to the curriculum. The CCC also met with white students a number of times outside and inside Philadelphia to discuss joint demands for a student bill of rights
Bill of rights
A bill of rights is a list of the most important rights of the citizens of a country. The purpose of these bills is to protect those rights against infringement. The term "bill of rights" originates from England, where it referred to the Bill of Rights 1689. Bills of rights may be entrenched or...
.
Lack of action after those discussions with the school board prompted the November demonstration.
Student strike and police response
On November 17, 1967, 3,500 students walked out of their classes and assembled in front of the Board of Education building at 21st and the Parkway. The demonstrators included youth groups, Catholic high school students and public high school students.The demonstrators were met by two busloads of police, and the encounter quickly turned violent. Twenty-two people were seriously injured and 57 were arrested.
The Commissioner of Police Frank Rizzo
Frank Rizzo
Francis Lazarro "Frank" Rizzo, Sr. was an American police officer and politician. He served two terms as mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from January 1972 to January 1980; he was Police Commissioner for four years prior to that.-Police Commissioner:Rizzo joined the Philadelphia Police...
was on the scene, and witnesses quoted him as telling his officers to “Get their Black asses!”
Aftermath
Reaction to the riot was split. Some criticized the brutal response of police officers against unarmed student, while others praised Rizzo’s action to suppress the demonstration. The North City Congress, a social service organization, produced a report on November 29, 1967, entitled, “A Comparison of Police Action in Kensington Riots of 1966 and at the School Board Demonstration, November, 1967” noted the discrepancies in the actions of the Philadelphia Police DepartmentPhiladelphia Police Department
The Philadelphia Police Department is the police agency responsible for law enforcement and investigations within the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, in the decision to attack the students at the Philadelphia school board demonstration as opposed to a riot which had occurred in a white community.
At least two court cases were filed against the Philadelphia Police Department for their role in the riot: Heard et al. v Rizzo et al. and Traylor et al. v. Rizzo et al.
Frank Rizzo was exposed to direct and intense criticism for the actions of the police at that demonstration, but he was also credited with keeping the peace. He was later elected Mayor of Philadelphia.
Mark Shedd made some initial reforms in the aftermath of the riot, including granting student demands for draft
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
-counseling services, drafting a students’ bill of rights, and granting them a voice in curriculum and disciplinary procedures. However, his reforms were not well-received, and he was eventually forced to resign.
Further reading
- Countryman M.J. "From protest to politics": Community control and black independent politics in Philadelphia, 1965-1984 (2006) Journal of Urban History, 32 (6), pp. 813–861
- Slavery in Philadelphia, by Stephanie Wicks.