BLOG #2

            The main function of the Wagner achieves at LaGuardia is to collect, maintain and preserve primary sources of New York’s history. During my visit to the LaGuardia achieves me and my fellow class mates where given the opportunity to view personal items previously owned by former Mayor Beane, Wagner, and LaGuardia. We saw an autographed boxing glove dedicated to mayor Beane from Muhammad Ali. We were privy to see a personal rifle of Mayor LaGuardia from his time serving in the military. A New York Met’s baseball jacket giving to Mayor Wagner after, he threw out the first pitch of the season. During our time at the Wagner achieves, we also discussed and read through a speech made my Mayor Wagner right after the 1964 Harlem Riot.  In this speech the former Mayor talks about basically about the affect how he felt there was a large section of the Black community that didn’t want the riot to take place. Wagner directly says “I am convinced that the overwhelming majority of those who live in the Harlem community neither participated, no appreciated the violence and disorder.” He also says that the police are able to use whatever force they see fit to subdue any intension situation. Wagner says “the mandate to maintain law and order is absolute unconditional and unqualified”. In my opinion he is justifying the police in their actions and in a way defending officer Gillian. Gilliam is the office who shot James Powell a young unarmed African American boy and this led to the Harlem riot, which in turn led to Mayor Wagner’s speech. Personally I feel that Wagner was attempting to play both sides of the fence. He didn’t want to further anger or push away African Americans. At the same time he didn’t want to condemn or put down the police force, probably for the sake of upholding the appearance of the law and not looking like a supporter of the radical black movement to his white constituents. I also find it ironic that Wagner had to rush back from making a speech about unemployment in Switzerland when unemployment was a major proponent in sparking the riot.