TEEN-AGE BOYS EXHIBIT TRUE AMERICAN SPIRIT

BLACK BUZZ NEWS SERVICE
The Pittsburgh Courier Archives
The James S. Robinson, Jr. Project
Pittsburgh PA.
July 3, 2010

This article by the great Dr. Edna Chappell is part of the James S. Robinson, Jr. Project.

TEEN-AGE BOYS EXHIBIT
TRUE AMERICAN SPIRIT
By Edna Chappell, The Pittsburgh Courier, May 4, 1946
An exhibition of "true Americanism" on the part of two teen age boys in the Hill District last week averted what might have easily developed into one of the most serious racial-flare-ups Pittsburgh has ever witnessed. Police patrolled the area between Center and Fifth Avenue on Dinwiddle Street Thursday and Friday evenings, dispersing tense and near violent mobs which gathered as a result of a false and vicious rumor of an impending race riot.
According to James S. Robinson, Director of Hill City Youth Municipality and the Friendly Service Bureau, approximately 200 men and boys, a mixed group, made up largely of "hoodlums" from other sections were standing around Fifth Avenue High School apparently looking for trouble when he arrived at the scene Thursday afternoon, James E. Shannon, principal of the school who says he had reports among school children that " there was going to be a race riot' summoned Robinson shortly before time for school to close.
The "false alarm" was reportedly the result of an ordinary quarrel which had taken place Wednesday evening between two boys, Alfred Cleveland, 17, a student at Fifth Avenue High School, and John Fulmara, 19, who lives about a block from the school on Dinwiddie Street.

ANTICIPATED FIGHT

The would be rioters, having heard about the quarrel, expected to see the youths fight and evidently intended to use the incident to unleash a current of interracial tension which has been mounting in that community for several months.
However the two young fellows proved a tremendous disappointment to the anxious mob when they met, had a short conversation, shook hands and went up the street smiling, ignoring the "jeers" and disgruntled comments of the turbulent agitators Robinson told the Courier."
NO BLOWS PASSED
" Nobody was arrested and not a single blow was passed although we had to keep the crowd moving. I had no idea what the trouble was about and couldn't figure it out when I saw this white boy walk right through the crowd and call the colored boy as he was leaving school. I heard everybody saying some boys were going to fight and had come down to see that no fights took place.
"After the two boys started up the street together I called them both, put them in my car and took them to my office where they explained they were just as surprised as I was to hear about a "race riot." In an interview with the Courier reporter at Hill City, the two boys told the following story.
Fulmara, who is a former student of Somers Trade School said:"Al and I had a little'word battle, Wednesday and had decided to settle it between us the next day. I thought about our quarrel Wednesday night and told my mother about it. It was a misunderstanding and I had made up my mind to wait for Al after school and talk it over."

RUMOR PERSISTED
According to Alfred 17, there was nothing to get excited about and he hadn't thought anything much about the argument with the other boys.
He says:" I heard all the boys in school talking about some race riot' and I was awful surprised when I came out of school and saw all those big fellows ganging around ready to fight. I suppose some of the other guys heard us arguing Wednesday and just wanted to start something."
The school principal, Shannon said Friday the "riot rumor" persisted and he summoned Robinson who notified Director of Public Safety George E.A. Fairley, and requested that a squad of police be sent up to prevent serious trouble.
" I could see there were some hoodlums from both races in the crowd who just like to fight. When they saw the police patrolling, they got out in a hurry."
As for the two boys, John and Alfred, they're great pals now and met at Hill City voluntarily Monday evening after school eager to let the public know what really happened. In fact they made a date to go to the show together today ( Thursday ).

Blogger Black Buzz says he would appreciate hearing from anyone that has knowledge of this incident such as the "Men From Fifth Avenue" the Fulmara family, the Cleveland family, etc.
* Somers Trade School was located on Webster Avenue in the Hill.
Also note that the lower hill, and the Soho District had many Italians, Jews and other whites living there. Fifty four per cent of the young people that were part of the program at Hill City were Black, and forty six per cent were white young people. Hill City was a program for young people of all races, classes, religions and social-economic backgrounds.

The late Dr. Edna Chappell, is professor emeritus of African American History, at the Main Campus of the Community College of Allegheny County. ( Northside Branch ).

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