Nearly 10,000 African-Americans marched in protest of anti-Black violence and white supremacy in the U.S. (Image courtesy of Getty Images).
Friday, July 28, 2017, marked the 100-year anniversary of the Silent Parade, a demonstration where nearly 10,000 Black Americans quietly paraded down New York’s Fifth Avenue to protest race-based violence and white supremacy in the U.S.
The stunning demonstration, led by the NAACP, was one of the nation’s first mass protests against lynching and other anti-Black violence, TIME reported. Dressed in white from head to toe, thousands of men, women and children took to the streets toting signs with slogans like “Thou Shalt Not Kill” and “Your Hands Are Full of Blood.”
Their goal? To get then President Woodrow Wilson to fulfill his promise of taking legislative action to protect the civil rights of Blacks in America, which he discussed during his campaign.
“There was no singing, no chanting — just silence,” tech giant Google said in a statement. “Today’s Doodle commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Silent Parade and honors those whose silence resonates a century later.”
People across the nation took to social media Thursday to celebrate the iconic march as well.
https://twitter.com/Jack_Slater/status/890935049939451904
10,000 African Americans protested lynchings in #SilentParade 100 yrs ago today. "Make America safe for democracy" https://t.co/pq5IG8Z0ml pic.twitter.com/oKRRJYpj8T
— Jerry Mitchell (@JMitchellNews) July 28, 2017
Grateful to learn about the #SilentParade from today's #GoogleDoodle. This piece of history shows that We the People CAN affect change. ✊🏽 https://t.co/u94iTrjZEJ
— The City of Sisterly Love aka Celeste Doaks (@thedoaksgirl) July 28, 2017
For many users, the fact that they’d never heard of the #SilenParade until now came as a surprise.
https://twitter.com/ACZeroshift/status/890848558269833216
https://twitter.com/jasmine15west/status/891016709120958465
Big up to @google on educating us about my history. #SilentParade #CivilRights
— SSSouthernSlim (@drewfish33) July 28, 2017
Thanks to #GoogleDoodle I know about the #SilentParade in 1917 today marks the 100th anniversary of the anti-lynching Silent Parade
— 🦋✨1.0.2.4 (@kilobyyte) July 28, 2017
