Wilmington riots, Cherry Island incident., August 31, 1968

Photograph showing six youth, four of which were paid staff of WYEAC, being arrested at Cherry Island by two policemen. The youth were arrested because of their suspicious appearance in the aftermath of the Wilmington riots. The WYEAC or the Wilmington Youth Emergency Action Council, was a loose coalition of African American street gangs. The arrests led to a series of raids on the suspects' homes, which helped to bolster worries that a Black Liberation Army was operational in Wilmington. This served to justify heightened police patrols and the continued presence of the National Guard in Wilmington.