What to Know
- The Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn erupted into four days of rioting in 1991
- The riots were sparked by the death of a 7-year-old boy struck and killed by a car driven by an Orthodox Jewish driver
- A Jewish doctoral student was stabbed to death moments after the child was struck and killed
An African-American crossing guard helps a group of Orthodox Jews cross the street -- a snapshot of an everyday occurrence, but one which carries added significance on Friday at this particular intersection.
Twenty-five years ago at this corner in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn a young Jewish man was stabbed to death by black teens in apparent retaliation for the death of black child struck and killed by a Hasidic Jewish driver.
The two deaths in 1991 ignited the most bitter racial clash in New York City in a generation.
Days of rioting by black Crown Heights residents followed in what a 1993 state report called "the most extensive racial unrest in New York City in over 20 years." Nearly 200 people were injured.
The stabbing death of Yankel Rosenbaum, a 25-year-old doctoral student, is still painful for his brother.
"It's a numbness," Norman Rosenbaum told NBC 4 New York. "A sense of helplessness. A real loss."
Local
The relatives of 7-year-old Gavin Cato, crushed by the Hasidic driver, also wrestle with the painful loss of a loved one. Carmel Cato, the boy's father, told NBC 4 that the healing for the family, as well as the community, took time.
"As a father, I wanted to see things better," he said.
Since the riot, residents have worked to foster communication and familiarity between blacks and Jews, from forming organizations together to speaking up when violence strikes either community.
Mayor Bill de Blasio credits Crown Heights residents with setting an example of of racial tolerance.
"The Crown Heights community over a quarter century has achieved a miracle," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
