Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests/Silent Parade

The Silent Parade was a protest march in New York City on July 28, 1917. The goal was to draw attention to the widespread racial violence and entrenched systemic discrimination endured by African Americans. The march was precipitated by a series of racially motivated attacks in 1916 and 1917, including the East St. Louis massacre and lynchings in Waco and Memphis. The parade was organized by a coalition of African American groups, led by the recently formed NAACP. Starting at 57th Street, the parade route proceeded down Fifth Avenue, ending at Madison Square. It was a silent procession, with an estimated 8,000 to 15,000 African American participants marching in protest, accompanied by a muffled drum beat. The event was widely publicized and drew attention to violence against African Americans. Organizers hoped the parade would prompt the federal government to enact anti-lynching legislation, but President Woodrow Wilson did not act on their demands. Lynchings persisted in the United States into the 1960s. (Full article...)