Willie Turks
Encyclopedia
Willie Turks was a subway car maintenance worker who was fatally beaten by a white mob in the Gravesend
section of Brooklyn, New York. Turks' death was the first of several prominent racial attacks that took place in New York City
in the 1980s.
workers were accosted by three white youths after stopping at a bagel shop on their way home from work. When they tried to drive away, their car stalled and the driver was struck with a beer bottle. Turks was pulled out of the car and dragged across the street, where he was fatally beaten. Both of his companions were injured, one seriously, before managing to break away from the crowd, which had grown to 15 to 20 youths.
Gravesend, Brooklyn
Gravesend is a neighborhood in the south-central section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA.The derivation of the name is unclear. Some speculate that it was named after the English seaport of Gravesend, Kent. An alternative explanation suggests that it was named by Willem Kieft for the...
section of Brooklyn, New York. Turks' death was the first of several prominent racial attacks that took place in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in the 1980s.
Attack
On the night of June 22, 1982, Turks and two other black New York City Transit AuthorityNew York City Transit Authority
The New York City Transit Authority is a public authority in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City...
workers were accosted by three white youths after stopping at a bagel shop on their way home from work. When they tried to drive away, their car stalled and the driver was struck with a beer bottle. Turks was pulled out of the car and dragged across the street, where he was fatally beaten. Both of his companions were injured, one seriously, before managing to break away from the crowd, which had grown to 15 to 20 youths.