Which 1919 wave of racial violence occurred across several U.S. cities, highlighting racial tensions after World War I?

• A. Red Summer
• B. Tulsa Riot
• C. Harlem Riots
• D. Watts Riots

Answer: (A)

Racial violence in 1919 across American cities shows how postwar tensions and the Great Migration sparked widespread attacks on Black communities as soldiers returned home and competition for jobs and housing intensified. This broad pattern across multiple cities is what historians call the Red Summer. The Chicago Race Riot of 1919, the Elaine Massacre in Arkansas, and other outbreaks from coast to coast illustrate the breadth and intensity of the violence. The label Red Summer is the best fit because it names the nationwide wave of outbreaks in that single year, rather than a single city’s event in a different time or later era of riots.