In the spring of 1917, during the Great Migration, Black people are moving to East St. Louis in large numbers, lured from the Jim Crow South by the promise of good jobs. Factory owners heighten racial tensions by hiring Black workers to replace whites striking for better wages and conditions.

On May 28, thousands of white people storm Black neighborhoods and set homes and businesses on fire. Violence erupts again in 5 weeks, when thousands of white people riot, attacking Black residents indiscriminately, setting fires and slashing firehoses. Police and National Guard stand back — some even join the mob. 39 to 200 Black people and 9 white people are killed. Neighborhoods are destroyed, displacing 7000 Black residents. Of the 105 people indicted on riot related charges, only 20 of those jailed are white.