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1986 Howard Beach racial attack & murder ?...



Item # 718289

February 17, 1987

THE VILLAGE VOICE (weekly), Greenwich Village, New York City, Feb. 17, 1987

* Howard Beach racial attack - Queens
* African American Michael Griffith killed 
* New York City police racial tensions 
* Editorial by Jack Newfield on murder charges 


The front page has a photo of Charles J. Hynes with heading: "N.Y. LAW" and more. And beginning on page 19 is an editorial by Jack Newfield on the Howard Beach racial attack. This lengthy editorial continues on multiple inside pages. 
AI notes: On December 20, 1986, in Howard Beach, Queens, a group of young Black men—whose car broke down—were attacked by a gang of white youths. Michael Griffith, age 23, was chased onto a highway and killed by a car while fleeing. His friend Cedric Sandiford was beaten, while another, Timothy Grimes, escaped. The incident was racially motivated and sparked national outrage. The local DA’s initial weak charges led to the appointment of a special prosecutor, Charles Hynes, who brought stronger charges. Three attackers were convicted of manslaughter and assault. The murder became a symbol of racial violence in the North and led to protests, including by Rev. Al Sharpton. It pressured New York City to address systemic racism in policing and justice.
I suspect this to be an extremely rare item because there was really no reason to save it at the time.
The Village Voice was an American counterculture newspaper known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. It introduced free-form, high-spirited, and passionate journalism into the public discourse - a tradition it maintained throughout its 60+ year history. It is quite common to find great political cartoons, satirical cartoons and articles, thought-provoking editorials, and ads and reviews for both concerts and theater productions - both on and off Broadway. Many iconic writers and musicians credit their appearance in The Village Voice for at least a portion of their success.
Complete with 152 pages, tabloid size, one fold along the center, nice condition.

Provenance note: This issue comes from The Village Voice's own archives, part of their in-house collection used to create their digital archive. Rare as such.

Alert: Many issues of The Village Voice contain articles and/or photos which some consider offensive, and are certainly inappropriate for children. Please purchase with discretion.

Category: The 20th Century