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Today’s Black History WOW!
As we celebrate Juneteenth (June 19 Freedom Day) and soon July 4th (Independence Day), we must remember that we are still fighting for freedom and equality for everyone in America.
I am re-posting parts of an article I originally published about two years ago.
We must continue to insist that all of American History be taught.
Which of these massacres did you learn about in school?
Many people on the right falsely claimed that Black Lives Matter protestors after the George Floyd murder burned down entire cities. While there were a few instances of vandalism, mostly carried out by outside agitators, about 98% of the protests were non-violent and had no incidents of destruction and/or violence.
Since before the founding of this country, white European descendants have terrorized and murdered non-white, non-Christian, non-Protestant people in this country, starting with the decimation of native peoples from the time they arrived here in the 15th century.
I highly recommend a seminal book by Dr. Howard Zinn, originally published in 1980 and updated in 2015 after his 2010 death, “A People’s History of the United States.” Dr. Zinn said that his main purpose was to give an accurate and detailed account of American history from the victim's point of view. The book has been banned in some conservative areas, which is why it is even more important to read it. The first time I tried to read the book, I could barely get past the first chapter because of the detailed murderous actions toward Native people perpetrated by Christopher Columbus and others who “discovered” America.
These massacres and acts of domestic terrorism by white supremacists continue to the present day. The shooter who murdered 10 Black people at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, in May 2022, said he was motivated by the (white) Replacement Theory touted by people like Tucker Carlson.
Of course, the “browner” and more diverse the United States population becomes, the more frightened and violent white supremacists and anti-government militia types also become.
As many right-wing pundits, congresspeople, and other far-right followers of Donald Trump called for the defunding of the FBI and the murder of FBI agents since the search warrant was served on Mar-a-Lago looking for illegally moved government documents, they should remember Oklahoma City in April 1995.
The bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995, was the deadliest act of homegrown terrorism in U.S. history. One hundred and sixty-eight people, including 19 children in the 1st-floor daycare center, were murdered.
Attendees at a recent CPAC (Conservative Political Action Committee) convention admitted that they were proud to be “Domestic Terrorists.”
Here is a partial list of over twenty massacres against African Americans from the late 19th century through the present.
The great majority of these massacres were designed to suppress voting rights, land ownership, economic advancement, education, and/or labor rights of African Americans and others. Calling them “race riots” is an attempt to place the blame on the Black victims when in reality these massacres occurred to maintain white supremacy.
The New York City Draft Riots and Massacre, July 13, 1863: The NYC Draft Massacre Riots were the largest civil insurrection in U.S. history besides the Civil War, and until January 6, 2021. White mobs attacked the African American community murdering people and burning homes and institutions, including an orphanage.
Fort Pillow Massacre April 12, 1864: 500+ surrendering African American Union troops were massacred by Confederate soldiers at the Civil War Battle of Fort Pillow.
Carroll County Courthouse Massacre, March 17, 1886: The Carroll County Courthouse Massacre left 23 Black people dead when an armed white mob attacked an ongoing trial.
Memphis Massacre May 1-3, 1866: White civilians and police killed 46 African Americans while burning houses, schools, and churches in Memphis, Tennessee.
New Orleans Massacre, July 30, 1866: The New Orleans Massacre occurred when white residents near the reconvened Louisiana Constitutional Convention.
St. Bernard Parish (Louisiana) Massacre, October 25, 1868: The St. Bernard Parish massacre of African Americans was carried out by white men to terrorize recently emancipated voters.
Clinton, Mississippi Massacre, September 4, 1875: Nearly 50 African Americans were killed by white mobs.
Springfield Massacre, August 14, 1908: The Springfield Massacre was committed against African Americans by a mob of about 5,000 white people in Springfield, Illinois.
Uniformed Black WWI returning veterans attacked in Washington, D.C., July 19, 1919: White mobs, incited by the media, attacked the African American community in Washington, D.C., and African American soldiers returning from WWI.
Red Summer in Chicago July 27, 1919: At least 38 people were killed and thousands of Black homes were looted when a white police officer refused to arrest in the murder of a Black teenager.
Elaine Massacre September 30, 1919: Between 100-800 Black farmers were massacred in Elaine, Arkansas because of their efforts for better pay and higher cotton prices.
The Ocoee Massacre, November 2, 1920: More than 50 African Americans were killed after going to vote in Ocoee, Florida.
Tulsa Massacre, May 31, 1921: White supremacists destroyed the entire Black Greenwood business and residential community in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This was the first time American planes were used to bomb other Americans.
Rosewood Massacre, January 1, 1923: White supremacists destroyed the entire town of Rosewood, Florida, and murdered many of its residents.
Philadelphia Police Bomb MOVE Organization May 13, 1985: The Philadelphia Police Department dropped a C-4 bomb on the home of the MOVE organization, killing eleven people (including five children) and wiping out half a city block.
Charleston Church Massacre, June 17, 2015: Nine African American churchgoers, including the pastor who was also a state senator, were gunned down by a young white supremacist.
Grocery Store Massacre in Buffalo, New York, May 14, 2022: A teenage gunman enthralled by replacement theory opened fire at a supermarket in Buffalo, methodically shooting and killing 10 mostly Black people. The 18-year-old gunman traveled over two hundred miles to commit the murderous attack, which he also live-streamed.
It is interesting to note that, contrary to the stories told by racists and white supremacists, there were no riots after the murder of Emmitt Till, during the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Justice attended by 250,000+ people, after the murder of Minister Malcolm X, during the Million Man March attended by 1,000,000+ people, after the murders of Ahmad Aubery and Breonna Taylor, not even after the murder of George Floyd, which sparked protests worldwide.
And of course, the January 6, 2021, insurrection and attempted coup at the U.S. Capitol included thousands of people and caused five deaths, and 99.99% of the rioters were white Trump supporters.
In 1788, the U.S. Constitution went into effect when New Hampshire became the 9th state to ratify it.
In 1821, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AMEZ) Church was formally organized in New York City.
In 1915, the Supreme Court ruled that “grandfather clauses” in the Oklahoma and Maryland constitutions violated the 15th Amendment. It was the first successful case brought by the NAACP.
In 1945, 3-star General Benjamin O. Daivs became the first Black officer to head an Army Air Force Base.
In 1964, three civil rights workers, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, who were working to register Black voters, disappeared and were later found murdered by the KKK near Philadelphia, Mississippi.
In 1964, white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith was arrested for the murder of civil rights activist Medgar Evers. Beckwith was found guilty thirty years later.
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