study guide 2- Harlem riot of March 19, 1935

Primary purpose of the first three pages in Greenberg's study

To present the March 19, 1935 incident, rumor, crowd, and leaflets as a document problem examining Harlem's political climate rather than Lino Rivera himself.

Evidence provided by the Young Liberators leaflet regarding Harlem in 1935

Demonstrates how rapidly misinformation spread, how deeply distrust of police and white-owned stores ran, and how quickly the community framed events as racial violence.

Evidence provided by the Young Communist League leaflet regarding Harlem in 1935

Demonstrates political opportunism, showing how radical groups reframed rumors into calls for collective racial action and ideological struggle.

Core analytical difference between the Young Liberators and Young Communist League leaflets

While both falsely claim the boy was killed, the Liberators leaflet reflects community rumor and fear, whereas the Communist League leaflet reflects political opportunism and ideological directives.

Actual age, action, and condition of Lino Rivera on March 19, 1935

He was sixteen years old, caught stealing a penknife, and released unharmed by the store manager.

Key casualty and damage figures from the night of the 1935 Harlem riot

75 arrests, 57 civilians injured, 7 policemen injured, and 626 windows broken.

Four commissioners appointed by Mayor LaGuardia for the Harlem investigation and their roles

E. Franklin Frazier (sociologist), Countee Cullen (poet), A. Philip Randolph (labor leader), and Hubert Delany (lawyer and judge).

Reason Mayor LaGuardia's Harlem Commission composition was crucial for legitimacy

Combining prominent Black intellectuals, artists, labor leaders, and legal authorities made the report trusted by Harlem residents and respected by white officials.

Mayor's Commission findings on leadership and premeditation in the 1935 Harlem riot

The outburst was spontaneous and unpremeditated, showing no evidence of organizers, leadership, or a coordinated program.

Shift in crowd target during the progression of the 1935 Harlem riot

As crowds grew, store owners' racial identity or individual responsibility ceased to matter, and property itself became the focus of fury.

Police action during the Lino Rivera incident and Greenberg's added detail

Police tried to suppress public excitement instead of explaining the truth, and one running boy was shot and killed by police without warning.

Consequence of the collapse of the 'Don't Buy Where You Can't Work' campaign at the end of 1934

It left a political vacuum without an organized outlet, leaving a population politicized by earlier protests ready to believe rumors and act spontaneously.