The Anti-Racist Community Network (ARCN) presents:

Peekskill Riots Episode 2:

The Friendly Town by the River

Tuesday, June 10, 2025, 4-6pm PT, 7-9pm ET

A free movie screening with the filmmaker

On August 27 and September 4th, 1949, violence broke out at two concerts held outside Peekskill, NY, headlined by black singer, actor, and activist Paul Robeson. Citizens of Peekskill, galvanized by racist and anti-Semitic sentiments and disdain for Robeson’s left-wing views and campaign for civil rights, started two riots that resulted in hundreds of injuries, made national news, and unofficially marked the beginning of the McCarthy era, which would nearly erase Robeson from the public consciousness. 

The Peekskill Riots were not an isolated case of violence in the Hudson Valley. They are part of a long history of racism and anti-semitism in the Peekskill area. The influence of the Ku Klux Klan on Peekskill in the early 20th century shaped the region for decades, striking terror into the hearts of African Americans, Catholics, and Jewish people. At its peak, their rallies in the heart of Peekskill had an attendance reaching 25,000. Although the KKK eventually faded away, the culture of hatred that had permitted its growth was still very much alive beneath the surface. 

Yet Peekskill was also home to a progressive movement of summer colonies, scattered throughout the region. Made up predominantly of working-class Jewish families and influenced by a diverse assortment of leftist ideologies, their goals were to create small-scale, utopian communities in the countryside of the Hudson Valley. Their presence was considered a threat to the conservative culture of Peekskill. These tensions would only worsen as the political climate in America turned against progressive ideologies and their adherents, such as Paul Robeson. To understand Peekskill during the Riots, we must first understand the forgotten past of the “Friendly Town” by the River.

Screening of the film will be followed by Q&A with the filmmaker, Jon Scott Bennett.

Click going or RSVP to receive a reminder email with the zoom info. If you missed Episode 1, you can see it here, and then watch our Videorecording of the event (archived for members of the ARCN, see below) with Jon's informative Q&A.

Meet our presenter:

Documentarian Jon Scott Bennett has gained national recognition for his coverage of the Peekskill riots of 1949 and his previous films covering under-discussed history including The Pound Ridge Massacre and The Leatherman. Bennett bridges the gap between in-person and online audiences to share the important stories hidden in our backyard.

Jon writes:

I am a documentary filmmaker with a B.A. in History. I have been fascinated with history my entire life; reading books, attending lectures, viewing films, and visiting preserved sites like Gettysburg, Saratoga, Antietam, and Forts Montgomery and Clinton since I was a young boy. My mother enjoys telling people I “learned to walk” on the Gettysburg Battlefield during one of my first trips with the family.

For years, friends and family have graciously enjoyed my recounting of stories I learned from books, films, and online research. I would even do extensive research on the events portrayed in video games such as Call of Duty or Assassin’s Creed and share their significance with friends as we played the games together. I’ll always appreciate their indulgence in allowing me to be a pseudo-history teacher outside the classroom. 



I have a passion for film and storytelling; having started making home movies when I was young with Nerf guns and G.I. Joe’s. Over time, my skills in writing, filming, and editing sharpened to allow for the content presented here. 

It is my hope that the mixture of education and entertainment offered by our films will allow for information that may otherwise fall flat, or not be discussed in the classroom, to resonate with our audience and provide a fresh and balanced perspective of history and our everyday life.

ARCN programs are offered FREE OF CHARGE and most of our presenters receive no payment. PLEASE help us to continue our programming with a donation. Any amount, large or small, will support us to continue offering vital anti-racist programs.

About the Anti-Racist Community Network (ARCN)

We are building a pathway to the emerging anti-racist, multiracial society…

The ARCN is a multiracial, anti-racist online community working to achieve racial justice and end white supremacy through activism and organizing. Our members want to be actively networking against racism and white supremacy. Through education and activism, we are working together for real and lasting societal change.

The Anti-Racist Community Network is owned and operated by the Center for the Study of White American Culture, Inc. Founded in 1995, we are known in anti-racist circles. Our operating philosophy for ARCN is to create a big tent. If you are comfortable working under our explicit expectation that you support racial justice and building anti-racist multiracial community, then you are welcome and we invite you to come.

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