Columbia Ave. Riots Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Columbia Ave. Riots - Essay Example It seemed to be the only avenue open to them due to so many discriminatory laws and practices despite the passage of many laws outlawing black discrimination in social, political, and economic spheres of life. In other words, discrimination was back then and even until now a very persistent problem that defied easy solutions. The race riots in Philadelphia were caused by some black activists who hijacked the sentiments or resentments of black people against a lack of equality and used these for their own ends. The city of Philadelphia in the mid-twentieth century had been divided into the white Philadelphia (southern portion) and the black Philadelphia (northern portion). This division is not only geographic but also economic and ethnic because the white southern Philadelphia in many ways was vastly superior to its northern part. White people in the southern portion had a better life in terms of economic opportunities, nicer neighborhoods with less crime, and had a more than fair share of good-paying jobs. This situation can be contrasted with its southern counterpart which had cheap government housing, more crimes, and less jobs to be had. Philadelphia has a great tradition in American history as it was the preferred city of the countrys Founding Fathers who often met in this city. The Declaration of Independence was made in Philadelphia in 1776 as well as the signing of the American Constitution in 1787. It is known as a place of religious and racial tolerance because it welcomes successive waves of immigrants from Europe such as the Dutch, then the English, and then much later, Swedes. They were soon followed in the next century by the Scots, the Irish, and German immigrants. The next century saw new arrivals from southern and eastern Europe such as the Greeks, the Poles, Italians, and Hungarians. Philadelphia became the second-largest city on the eastern seaboard after New York City and rivals it in terms of ethnical