1917 African American protest in New York City The Negro Silent Protest Parade, commonly known as the Silent Parade, was a political protest in New York City on July 28, 1917. The primary objective of the march was to draw national attention to the widespread racial violence and entrenched systemic discrimination endured by African Americans. It was organized in direct response to a series of racially motivated attacks in 1916 and 1917, including the East St. Louis massacre and lynchings in Waco and Memphis. 397,727 views on July 28, 2017 — Wikipedia's most-read article that day. Also most read: Anthony Scaramucci, Inder Kumar, Roy Sullivan, John F. Kelly. Wiki link