This week in Johnstown, a panel commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Rosedale incident at the Johnstown Area Heritage Association. For those of you who do not know, during World War I there was a large influx of African Americans and other ethnic groups to work in the steel mills. In 1923, in the Rosedale section of Johnstown an African American shot and killed 4 police officers. On Sept 7, Mayor Joseph Cauffiel ordered that all African Americans and Mexicans who had been living in the area leave the city. They all left at gunpoint.
The panel included Cody McDevitt, author of the book Banished from Johnstown: A Racist Backlash in Pennsylvania, Kourtney Richsell Square and her aunt Dr. Carol Francois. Square and Francois host the podcast and website Why Are they So Angry. The discussion can be seen above. McDevitt gave a review of the information in his book before the discussion.
The incident did not deter African Americans from coming to Johnstown. Currently, there is no large Mexican presence in Western Pennsylvania. The city was at its height in the 1920’s in terms of population at 67,000. This was when white flight to the suburbs began. The year 1923 was pivotal for the area. At the same time as the Rosedale incident, the Lilly incident with the Ku Klux Klan shooting and the 16 month Windber coal strike were going on.
It was good that the Rosedale incident was commemorated by the panel. Many (myself included) in the area had never heard of the incident until a few years ago. Waiting until now reinforces the notion that incidents such as there are a thing of the past. Atoning for racial injustices of the present is just as important.