I wish that AP, MSNBC and other news outlets would be intellectually accurate and honest. The "deadliest mass shooting" or "deadliest shooting rampage" in our
nation's history occurred on June 1, 1921 in the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Tulsa Race Riot, also known as the 1921 Race Riot, the Tulsa Race War, or the Greenwood Riot, was a large-scale civil disorder. During the 16 hours of rioting, over 800 people were admitted to local hospitals with injuries, an estimated 10,000 were left homeless, 35 city blocks composed of 1,256 residences were destroyed by fire, and $1.8 million (nearly $17 million after adjustment for inflation) in property damage.Our glorious Black Wall Street was destroyed in the carnage of that day.
39 people were officially reported killed, although most experts agree that the actual number of Black citizens killed during the riot to be around 300. You can read about it yourself here, here, or here.
This isn't an effort to compare horrendous situations. Rather, it is part of the continuing effort in the Electronic Village and elsewhere to ensure that OURstory isn't ignored or forgotten as others write his-story. National columnist Jim Clingman recently wrote about his experience with eight of the survivors of the Black Wall Street murders.
While we mourn for those murdered this week in Virginia, we ask you not allow the Tulsa Race War murders to be swept under the rug of distorted, revised, and repressed history. We must never forget, and we must not allow others to forget either.
15 comments:
I read the book "Black Wall Street" it should be a must read in schools. Yes, we need more honesty from the media. Thank-you for reminding us.
excellent post. It is sad, sad day and my hear and prayers go out to all at Virginia Tech. But the news media, is only concerned with ratings. To see all of the buzz words they flashed all day yesterday was digusting "Campus Masacre" "Campus Killing Rampage" etc. etc.
You are right, we must not forget other mass murders that our ancestors endured for no reason other then they were a different skin color.
Good post village, you could also have used the massacre at Ft. Pillow.
GAW - You are a well-read woman. Did I 'read' you earlier to say that you're a teacher? If so, what grade students are you teaching?
Native Son - It is a tragedy. As I'm hearing more about the situation it appears to be a 3-way love triangle gone horribly wrong.
Mark - I didn't have first-hand knowledge of The Battle of Fort Pillow until your comment. Thanks for the history lesson. Oddly enough, I remember Tom Selleck talking about this battle in one of his westerns ... but, at the time I thought it was a fictional occurance.
peace, Villager
Great post..our hidden history. Field Negroes writes about current killing fields.
Villager,
As you know, I always enjoy your stuff, but I think this may be one of your best. This is information that is so important and that we all need to be aware of. LIke you say, it's not a "my holocaust was worse than yours" thing, but simply an accuracy thing.
If we don't keep the record straight, who will?
credo & Keith - Asante sana! It is important that we understand and remember OURstory so that the horrible parts of it will never be repeated.
peace, Villager
I teach grown azzed college students.
Excellent analysis! This was the deadliest modern shooting of a group of WHITES, is what they ought to say.
AFROSPHERE ACTION ALERT - Two Black men, Ron and Roy Pettaway, Shot from Behind by Fulton County GA Police! One Killed. Please call relevant officials and ask for statement for Afrosphere publication. Names and phone numbers provided.
Francis L. Holland Blog
Exodus Mentality blog.
Yo village I just read the discription of the tulsa riot from the link you left.
I am fascinated with the history of lynching and riots in this country against black folks, anyway I am going to create a page on the black history audio project specifically about lynching and riots. Thank you for sharing that link.
They've changed the mantra. Now it's the worst shooting ever perpetrated by a single individual.
Talk of "honoring" cowardly Virginia Tech killer's life?!?
The Coward
This is part of our problem in today's society........
Compassion: Students Forgive Virginia Tech Killer
Students Say He's A Human First, A Murderer Second
(CBS) NEW YORK While it seems most people are resigned to express hatred toward Cho Seung-Hui, the Virginia Tech gunman who shot and killed 32 people before taking his own life, there are some who aren't thinking twice about forgiving the 23-year-old student for his heinous crimes.
The popular college Web site Facebook.com has become a haven for student groups to form, a place where thousands flock to express their feelings about the tragic incident that occurred on Monday morning. In doing a search of Cho's name on the Web site, results offer numerous groups -- most of which include either expletives in combination with his name as the name of the group, or others which wish harm upon him in the afterlife.
Still, somewhere in between all the anger, there are the occasional students who are willing to forgive, and offer their prayers to honor the killer's life.entire story ->http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_107170729.html
"honor the killer's life"? What kind of message does this send to other potential killers out there craving for attention? These kind of statements only will serve to let more potential killers know that if I do this and die I will not die with a stigma.
Unfortunately this kind of attitude is prevalent in today's society. Remember back in Columbine the crosses put up for those two cowardly bastards............
Francis - Asante sana for the action alert. I'll check it out momentarily.
Mark - I'm glad that the information on the tragedy in Tulsa, OK was useful. I learned something new with this post from you earlier with your reference to Fort Pillow massacre.
Exodus Mentality - Thank you for the update. It is good to see the correction being made in the description of this horrific event.
Phil - First, thank you for visiting with us in the Electronic Village. I hope you will come back often. In terms of forgiving the killer ... it may be too soon for such sentiments.
Yo Villager I had read that link before, during my travels over the net to satisfy my voracious hunger for knowledge anyway to start of the lynching page I am going to post 2 riots the 1921 Tulsa riot and the 1919 Washington Riot. I also will post a letter to the crisis by a southern black women were she praises black men for fighting back during the 1919 riot.
Anyway I have also started to post the Autobiography of Ida be wells here is a Mp3 of it that can be downloaded to your pc or to your Ipod. Yo Villager thank you again for putting up that link to the tulsa race riot also check out the ida b wells audio.
copy and past link to listen http://www.markbey.com/iola1%2001.mp3
Villager, you are keeping it real, you keep this up and you will have to leave the patio and join the field. I love your work
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