Attached.

The Robert Charles riot of 1990
by
Miranda Coleman

Mark Carson
University of Holy Cross

April 22, 2018

2
The Robert Charles riot of 1990
This paper discusses the unbalanced justice that has prevailed in the society since slavery
eras, where blacks are predominantly face with injustice in the hands of law enforcement
officers. The essay will base its arguments on the case of Robert Charles, who was assaulted by
police officers in 1900 in New Orleans and later killed by a white mob three days later.1 The
justice department, together with the law enforcement officers – especially the police, have
continued to show unbalanced prejudice and injustice, which has led to the deaths of many black
individuals, children and adults included. In this 21st century, there is need to note that this is
gross misconduct and a failure to the justice department, one that requires immediate solutions to
reinstate public trust and the authenticity of the services offered to the populace.2
Before the commencement of the killings that occurred due to the Robert Charles case,
Charles and his friend Leonard Pierce were sitting on a porch in the neighborhoods of New
Orleans waiting for a female friend when they were approached by three patrol officers who had
come along due to calls on two suspected Negroes sitting in the neighborhood.3 Charles was a
religious man and worked as a laborer in New Orleans. He was also a member of the AME
Bishop Henry McNeal Turner, a group that advocated for the emigration of blacks to Africa as a
solution to the continued harassment and injustice leveled towards the blacks. Since it was a
norm for blacks to undergo infuriating harassment and mistreatment or even shooting by police,
Charles had decided to stand up for his rights and had decided to stay armed all the time. By the
time he was approached together with his friend, the police officers tried interrogating them, to

1

Clark, Phenderson Djèlí. Carnival of Fury- The Ballad of Robert Charles. February 14, 2013.
https://pdjeliclark.wordpress.com/2013/02/14/carnival-of-fury-the-ballad-of-robert-charles/ (accessed April 23,
2018).
2
Johnson et al. Deadly injustice : Trayvon Martin, race, and the criminal justice system. New York: SAGE, 2015.
3
Coleman, Christian. 28 Black People You Probably Don’t Know About (But You Should)— Robert Charles.
February 9, 2014. https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/cac-28-black-people-you-probably-dontknow-about-but-you-should-robert-charles/ (accessed April 23, 2018).

3
which Charles did not cooperate as require and decided to stand instead. The officers thought this
was a resistance signal and engaged in beating and assaulting Charles.4 To their surprise, Charles
was armed and the two antagonistic sides began exchanging fire. Charles was wounded in the
fire exchange and he equally wounded a police officer. He fled the scene and went into hiding I
his house at Fourth Street, Faubourg Livaudais.
The following morning, when officers pursued him to try and capture him, Charles
opened fire in defense and killed two officers on the spot. In the confusion that ensued, Charles
fled the scene again and went missing. When the news of the event spread by the local daily, the
New Orleans whites gathered in the streets of New Orleans, infuriated by the incidence and were
armed. They were out with reason to help the police apprehend Robert Charles, but what
followed was a series of killings of any black individuals seen in the neighborhood.
When Charles was again located at Saratoga Street, the mob together with the police
convened to the location and tried getting Charles out. Charles retaliated and used a rifle to keep
the crowd away. He also managed to injure twenty whites and killed three others.5 When they
saw that the situation had escalated, the police decided to set the house ablaze, at a point which
Charles tried to escape and was killed in the process. The angry mob fired relentlessly into
Charles’ body and tore it apart. After the incidence, the mob continued to be wild and aggressive,
killing at least twelve blacks and injuring many others. The mob also burned down several black
schools. Whites later used the incidence to warn blacks that they should show subordination lest
they be treated the same way Charles faced their wrath. Although some individuals condemned
Charles’ behavior and actions, some saw him as a hero who for once stood up for his rights and
the right of other black individuals.
4

Clark. Carnival of Fury- The Ballad of Robert Charles. 2013.

5

Clark. Carnival of Fury- The Ballad of Robert Charles. 2013

4
The strict prevalence of the Jim Crow laws is thought of as the main reason for the
occurrence of the incident. The segregation of individuals in a community usually sparks
violence due to the two perspectives taken by both whites and blacks, whites requiring
submission of the blacks while blacks seeking public recognition and self-esteem. The
segregation mainly installed a mentality of superiority among whites, whereas installing
rebellion among the blacks, against oppression and harassment. This segregation is also thought
to have crept into the justice system, where blacks and whites are not judged by the same level of
strictness and ethics according to the law.6 This is the main reason blacks like Charles decided to
arm themselves to help and defend themselves against a justice force that does not consider their
rights and freedoms.
The killing and harassment of innocent blacks has continued through history, where
blacks face mistreatment, harassment and killings by the police and mostly nothing is done about
it. Like in the case of the Robert Charles case, where many innocent blacks were killed without
reason, many blacks are still being killed today without any concrete reasons.7 Although it was a
bad show for Charles to engage in shooting police officers, it was a resistance against a tag of
lowliness that was put on blacks, who felt they were equally human like the whites and had every
right to be treated like other human beings.
Recent media news have highlighted many killings of black individuals, which usually
occur without much investigation or observation of a situation. Similarly, the court systems does
not appear to be worried or caring about the ongoing spree of killing blacks since most of the

6
7

Coleman. 28 Black People You Probably Don’t Know About (But You Should)— Robert Charles. 2014.
Susman, Daniel Funke and Tina. From Ferguson to Baton Rouge: Deaths of black men and women at the hands of
police. July 16, 2016. http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-police-deaths-20160707-snap-htmlstory.html
(accessed April 23, 2018).

5
implicated officers always go free and nothing is done about them.8 In the recent past, in 2015,
Samuel DuBose was gunned down by a police officer who thought that Dubose had a gun when
he pulled him over for a routine traffic check. Although the police officer was convicted, he was
later released when he availed 10% of his one $1 million bond. A...