Race War is More Glorious Than Genocide
A postcard showing the burned body of Jesse Washington, Waco, Texas, 1916. Washington was a 17-year-old retarded farmhand who had confessed to raping and killing a white woman. He was castrated, mutilated, and burned alive by a cheering mob that included the mayor and the chief of police. An observer wrote that "Washington was beaten with shovels and bricks. . .[he] was castrated, and his ears were cut off. A tree supported the iron chain that lifted him above the fire. . Wailing, the boy attempted to climb up the skillet hot chain. For this, the men cut off his fingers." This image is from a postcard, which said on the back, "This is the barbeque we had last night. My picture is to the left with a cross over it. Your son, Joe."
Black resistance against lynching carried horrible risks. In 1921 in Tulsa, a group of black citizens attempted to stop a lynch mob from taking a 19-year old black man and assault suspect, Dick Rowland, out of jail. There was a scuffle between a white man and an armed black veteran, and the white man was killed. Whites retaliated by burning 1,256 homes and as many as 200 businesses in the segregated black Greenwood district, and leaving a confirmed 39 dead (26 black, 13 white). Recent investigations suggest the number of black deaths could be much higher. According to some reports, white rioters were shooting at black refugees from airplanes and dropping explosives on them. Dick Rowland was not lynched and was later exonerated.
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynching_in_the_United_States
On Greenwood, rumors began to fly, in particular, a false report that whites were storming the courthouse. Shortly after 10:00 p.m., a second, larger group of approximately seventy-five armed black men decided to make a second visit to the courthouse. Again, they offered their support to the sheriff to help protect Dick Rowland. Once again, their offer was declined.
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa_Race_Riot
Imagine the reaction of a police chief today if 75 armed men of any race came to protect a member of thier community against a mob numbering thousands.
Black resistance against lynching carried horrible risks. In 1921 in Tulsa, a group of black citizens attempted to stop a lynch mob from taking a 19-year old black man and assault suspect, Dick Rowland, out of jail. There was a scuffle between a white man and an armed black veteran, and the white man was killed. Whites retaliated by burning 1,256 homes and as many as 200 businesses in the segregated black Greenwood district, and leaving a confirmed 39 dead (26 black, 13 white). Recent investigations suggest the number of black deaths could be much higher. According to some reports, white rioters were shooting at black refugees from airplanes and dropping explosives on them. Dick Rowland was not lynched and was later exonerated.
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynching_in_the_United_States
On Greenwood, rumors began to fly, in particular, a false report that whites were storming the courthouse. Shortly after 10:00 p.m., a second, larger group of approximately seventy-five armed black men decided to make a second visit to the courthouse. Again, they offered their support to the sheriff to help protect Dick Rowland. Once again, their offer was declined.
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa_Race_Riot
Imagine the reaction of a police chief today if 75 armed men of any race came to protect a member of thier community against a mob numbering thousands.
posted by Tristan Tzara at 2:17 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home