Agana race riot

The Agana race riot took place in Agana, Guam on December 24-December 25, 1944.

Guam was inhabited by a group of black enlisted men from the 25th Depot Company of the United States Navy, who served at Guam's naval supply depot and white enlisted men in the 3rd Marine Division. A series of racially charged incidents caused increasing tensions between the two groups, until they erupted into a riot on Christmas eve, 1944.

Background

A black marine stationed on the island compared Guam to "a city deep down in the South" because of the hostility he encountered. "But as well all known," he explained, "where there are women and white and Negro men, you will find discrimination in large quantities." "On Guam, discrimination against blacks involved attempted intimidation by whites who shouted insults, threw rocks, and occasionally hurled smoke grenades from passing trucks into the cantonment area for black sailors of the Naval Supply Depot." [Bernard C. Nalty. [http://www.nps.gov/archive/wapa/indepth/extContent/usmc/pcn-190-003132-00/sec10.htm The Right to Fight: African-American Marines in World War II] . United States Marine Corps Historical Center]

Aftermath

Major General Henry L. Larsen convened a court of inquiry to investigate the riot. The inquiry did not include any African Americans. The black navy personnel refused to cooperate with the investigation. Many were later sentenced to long prison terms.

The NAACP later successfully campaigned to have the sailors released. [ [http://www.jimcrowhistory.org/scripts/jimcrow/map.cgi?city=agana&state=guam Agana, Guam, December 24, 1944: Riot] ]

References