POLITICAL CONTEXT?

• What was the Howard Beach incident?

  On december 20th 1986, three black men are attacked by a group of white teenagers yelling racial slurs at the black men in Howard Beach, a predominately white, middle class italian american neighbourhood in queens, new york.
• When was the howard beach incident?

  december 20th 1986
• What part of DTRT could be said to be inspired by the HB incident?

  The italian pizzeria, since the black men were attacked after leaving a pizza parlor on the beach
• What happened to the men?

  Micheal Griffiths, 23, was chased into traffic and died after being hit by a car.

  Cedric Sandiford was severly beaten

  Timothy Grimes outran and escaped the attackers.
• What did the attack cause in NYC?

  It stoked racial tensions and made the national headlines. The two surviving victims were distrustful of the police who they believed were treating them like the perpertrators and therefore refused to cooperate with the higher authority.
• Who was Rev. Al Sharpton?

  A civil rights activist.
• What did Rev. Al Sharpton lead?

  Led a protest through Howard Beach, a large group, that was met by an opposing smaller group who shouted abuse.
• What was Sharpton later accused of?

  Using the case to further his own political agenda and increase his national profile.
• Did the attackers face any consequence?

  In december 1987, after 12 days of jury deliberations, three teens, Jon Lester (17), Jason Ladone (17) and Scott Kern (19) were convicted of manslaughter in the death of Griffith.
• What is the story of Tawana Brawley?

  Tawana Brawley accused a group of men for raping her repeatedly, among this group was several police officers and a former prosecutor, Steven Pagones.
• What are the details of what happened to Brawley?

  At age 15, she was found in a trash bag with racial slurs written on her body, and she was covered in faeces.

  She then said she had been raped by a group of white men and identified Pagones and several other attackers.
• Rev Al Sharpton was her familys advisor, the case was the first exposure Americans would have to him.
• How does Tawana relate to DTRT?

  When Mookie is talking to his sister Jade outside the pizzeria, there is graffiti on the wall reading 'TAWANA TOLD THE TRUTH.'
• What was the conclusion of the case?

  The grand jury decided not to indict the attackers but suggested Brawley had created an eloborate hoax - perhaps to avoid trouble for being out late at a party.
• Did Tawana ever revoke her accusations?

  No, she never apolagised nor recanted her statement.
• Who is Eleanor Bumbers?

  A 66 year old African American woman with a history of mental illness, who was shot to death in 1984 by NY police whilst they were evicting her.
• What did Lee say about the case in a new york magazine interview?

  'Eleanor Bumpers - the police had already shot her finger off. then they killed her with a shotgun. sixty-six years old. Mayor koch, he was the one responsible. '
• Who was DTRT dedicated to?

  Eleanor Bumpers?
• Who was Yusef Hawkins?

  A black teen who was shot and killed in Brooklyn in 1989 after he travelled to the italian-american neighbourhood of Bensonhurst, was stopped by a white group of kids who harrased him and his friends.
• What was the group of white kids known for?

  They were known for harrasing black men who were rumoured to be dating white girls from the area.
• What happened to the person who shot Yusef?

  Joseph Fama (19) was convicted of second degree murder.
• When was Yusef Hawkins shot?

  1989
• What is a timeline of racial violence that occured in NYC?

  1982 - Willie Turks beaton to death by white mob

  1984 - Bernhard Goetz shot four black teenagers on the subway

  1986 - Micheal Griffith beaten to death by white youths in Howard Beach

  1989 - Yusef Hawkins beaton to death
• At the end of DTRT, there are chants of 'howard beach'