Peekskill Riots: Episode 1 ( Q & A with Filmmaker Jon Bennett)

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. Who was he? What did he do? What did he stand for? These questions must be answered in order to understand what brought him to Peekskill.

Join us for the powerful debut episode of the docuseries The Peekskill Riots, exploring one of the most volatile yet underreported chapters of American history. In Episode 1, we dive into the social and political climate of 1949 Peekskill, NY, where tensions over race, communism, and patriotism ignited into violence. Through rare archival footage, interviews with historians, and testimony from eyewitnesses and descendants, this episode lays the groundwork for the events that would soon erupt around a Paul Robeson concert, changing the town and the country forever.

After the screening, stay for a special Q&A with the filmmaker Jon Scott Bennett as we discuss the legacy of the riots, the making of the series, and the importance of revisiting these suppressed stories today.

This is just the beginning. The Peekskill Riots series will continue to trace the aftermath and impact of the riots through personal stories, political reckonings, and community healing. Each episode reveals how the events of 1949 continue to echo into the present.