Human Kindness Day

Human Kindness Day was a day of events held in Washington, D.C. in late spring from 1972 to 1975 to celebrate local artists and national performers "who have added to humanity and national community togetherness."[1] It was the culmination of a month-long celebration organized by Compared to What? Inc. (a non-profit that helped meet community needs that could be exposed and addressed through the arts), along with the National Park Service and DC Recreation. The month-long celebration opened with art and writing contests involving the school system (grades 7-12), focusing on the meaning of Human Kindness. On Human Kindness Day, there was a prayer breakfast, a run through the city, award ceremonies for student winners of the art and writing contests, and an afternoon concert by the year's honoree joined by other national and local artists at the Washington Monument on the National Mall.[2] Human Kindness Day took place within the context of the new District of Columbia home rule, which shifted the District of Columbia from Congressional rule to democracy with an elected mayor, Council, and small-scale Advisory Neighborhood Commissions.

The first Human Kindness Day was held in 1972 to honor the singer Roberta Flack, who had graduated from Washington's Howard University, had taught music in the DC Public Schools, sang in DC jazz clubs, and was Downbeat Magazine's #1 female vocalist of 1971. The 1972 concert drew 25,000 people and included many performers in addition to Roberta Flack: Archie Stewart, Bill Seigman, Donal Leace, Mr. Rhythm, Frank Bullard, Drop of Blue, Lorraine Rudolph, the New Generation, Zulu Nation, the Colmanaires, the Mighty Wonders, Calvert Crusaders, Flying Nesbits, Capitol Ballet Company, Ebony Impromptu Company, 3rd World Revolution, and Wayne Davis Company.[3] The 1973 event honored Dick Gregory, and the concert -- which included Rare Funk Ghetto, Staple Singers, Fat City, and Sea Train -- drew 35,000. The Evening Star called it "A summer-like day of delight."[4] The 1974 event honored Nina Simone. Along with Nina Simone, the Pointer Sisters, Herbie Hancock, New Birth, Darren Greene, Sir Joe, and the Free Souls performed for a crowd of 55,000 people.[5] The Washington Post reported 24 arrests for robbery and assault.[6] Afterwards, Nina Simone said, "Human Kindness Day was a counterpoint to everything that's bad, to the ugliness in this country. To me the day was incredibly beautiful. All the reports of violence were blown out of proportion, when you look at the whole day. And have people forgotten Altamont and Woodstock? What was said about Human Kindness Day was all vicious...it was vicious."[7]

The 1975 Human Kindness Day was held on the National Mall, with Stevie Wonder as the honoree and headlining act, and was attended by approximately 125,000 people.[6] “One of the motivations for Stevie [Wonder] was a political one,” one of the organizers, Carol Kirkendall, told the Washington Post, “He was motivated to change the world and to fight the injustices of how young black people were being raised in the city. He knew what the arts could mean to those young people.” During those years, Wonder also was urging lawmakers to honor the memory of the late Martin Luther King Jr. by establishing a national holiday in King’s name. He knew that high-profile concerts in Washington would help that cause.[8] Other entertainers were Lionel Richie and the Commodores along with Sly and the Family Stone. The National Park Service recorded 500 incidents of robbery.[9] The Washington Post noted that some 600 people were injured and 211 robbed.[10] The Chicago Tribune noted that 150 people were hospitalized, including one who lost an eye. Amidst the violence, the Metropolitan Police and Park Police arrested only 32 people.[11] The concert never finished due to a race riot that broke out. It was said at the time that it was due to a black kid and white kid hitting each other. The parents got involved and then both races attacked each other. Another contributing factor in the violence is that the event organizers had arranged non-interference with law enforcement, promising to self-police with 800 volunteer marshals, of whom only 262 were working the event.[6] Earlier that morning, bombs exploded at the Soviet Aeroflot airline office and the Mexican Chancelry in Washington, DC, and, as the concert started, telephone calls to the Washington Monument threatened another bombing there.[12]