Henry Berry Monologues

In 1963, a month after Martin Luther King’s I have a dream speech rang harmonies of freedom and equality throughout the United States, Klan members set off dynamite in the sixteenth Baptist Church. The resulting explosion and compromise in the integrity of the building killed four girls. These girls, Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Denise McNarr were the victims of this atrocity. The events that followed furthered the bloodshed. Thousands of black protestors flooded the streets in protest of the horrific acta that took place in the sixteenth Baptist street church [2]. It was not until 2001 and 2002 when some of the men responsible for the crimes would be prosecuted and eventually convicted. Though the intent of the bombing was to instill fear and panic into the black community, what came about was unity and a call to action.

The Tulsa Riot of 1921 was a tragic racial riot that resulted in the periodic destruction of Greenwood, a neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Nicknamed “Little Africa”, Greenwood was described as a vibrant community, and was built up by African Americans. This community, however, was completely destroyed by a massive mob of white men, whose anger stemmed from rape allegations of an African American man. Before and after the Tulsa Riot occurred, African Americans of the Greenwood community faced social issues due to the prevalence of racism among white men across the nation.

Before the race riots broke out in Chicago, tension between two communities were high and resulted 1919 Chicago Race Riot, which Black teenager called Eugene Williams swimming in Lake Michigan was stoned to death by White bystanders. His death caused one of the worst riots in American history because 37 people died, 500 injured and thousands left homeless. When the local police were called to the William’s death, they refused to arrest the man who initiated the

According to one researcher “In 1900 there were three black families and five white families on his block” (James 106) this later became a race war. The race riot on July 3, 1903, Robert Lee was shot and killed by an Evansville police officer named Louis Massey. Groups of whites threatened to “kill every Negro in town” (James 106) after going to the county jail leading to a eleven deaths and five injured. Many black people left the city during this time. The most serious race riot broke out when Cox was only seven years

‘Fire in a canebrake’ is quite a scorcher by Laura Wexler and which focuses on the last mass lynching which occurred in the American Deep South, the one in the heartland of rural Georgia, precisely Walton County, Georgia on 25th July, 1946, less than a year after the Second World War. Wexler narrates the story of the four black sharecroppers who met their end ‘at the hand of person’s unknown’ when an undisclosed number of white men simply shot the blacks to death. The author concentrates on the way the evidence was collected in those eerie post war times and how the FBI was actually involved in the case, but how nothing came of their extensive investigations.

“From Chicago to Tulsa, to Omaha, East St. Louis, and many communities in between, and family to Rosewood, white mobs pursued what can only be described as a reign of terror against African Americans during the period from 1917 to 1923.” (Rosewood Report, 1995, Pg. 3) Lynching had become very common in the United States, although the number of lynching’s had declined from 64 in 1921 to 57 in 1922. Rosewood was known to some as basically a riot, or a war. I believe Rosewood was known to become a war because the African Americans in Rosewood didn’t want the whites to run them out of the only city they were raised in. So the African Americans refused to leave, and fought back. How would you react if someone tried to run you out of your home, or the city you were raised in? Would you leave? Or fight back? Some incidents that occurred in Rosewood report had to do with Fannie Coleman. She was a married woman with three children, who claimed she was raped and beat by a black male while no one was home. According to Fannie Taylor’s version of events, “A black male came on foot to my house that morning and knocked. When I opened the door the black male proceeded to assault me.” (Rosewood Report, 1995, Pg. 5) None of this was true. She was having a affair with a white man, who beat her, so she lied and made a scene to the community to cover her up. Little do she know how this petty lie will cause many African Americans to die.

Fire in A Canebrake: The Last Mass Lynching in America by Laura Wexler is about the lynching of four African- Americans: Roger Malcom, Dorothy Malcom, George Dorsey, and Mae Murray Dorsey. This occurred in Walton County on July 25, 1946 at the old Moore’s Ford Bridge. The lynching spurred a six month federal investigation in Walton and Oconee County, but eventually led to no convictions or arrest. The FBI had many prime suspects and prime witnesses, but the white community stuck together and the black community was too afraid to speak against their white counter parts. The reason for the lynching at Moore’s Ford Bridge was because the white community of Walton County wanted revenge for Barnette Hester’s stabbing, to keep interracial relationships separate, and to keep whites in control of the political power.

The Elaine Massacre was one of the most destructive racial dispute that had taken place in Arkansas history and perhaps, the bloodiest racial rivalry in the history of the United States. While its inmost origin lies in the United States dedication to white superiority, the events in Elaine were emanated from strained race affiliates and expanding sympathy regarding the labor unions. A firing incident that took place at a meeting of the Progressive Farmers and the Household Union inflated into throng brutality on the part of the white people in Elaine and the nearby areas. Despite, the perfect number is unidentified, a huge number of African Americans were killed by the white’s territory that was around hundreds; and five white people lost their lives.

Romeo and I are standing next to each other, Friar Laurence standing between us and nurse sitting down on the church seats. Nurse looks some what happy, she did want me to marry young. I feel happy and kind of guilty. I can't believe I snuck out. Even though I feel kind of guilty I’m glad I snuck out to marry Romeo. I know I met him like two days ago, but it feels like I've known him forever. It was love at first sight, something I had never experienced before.

A group of KKK members, believed that this rapist was an escaped inmate named Jesse Hunter who was hiding in Rosewood, and they wanted to kidnap and kill him. Before this happened many problems had started aggression within Rosewood. The next day the the clan firebombed the home before gathered with 200 men from towns around the area who had found out that a negro man had killed two caucasian men. As the moon came out the clan attacked the town, killing animals and burning houses and places of business. A completed report claims six negroes were killed along with two whites men. Other rumors suggest a bigger amount. At the end of the massacre only two buildings were still up, a house and a store. Many of the African American people of Rosewood ditched to the wetlands and were taken to a safe area on January 6 by two trains men. John and William Bryce.

They did not appreciate Charles and his actions; this lead to a riot. A large white mob was formed where the two police men were injured wanted to end Robert Charles’s life because of what he has done. They wanted to be killed without being given a trial. The mob consisted of people from Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, and other surround states. On July 23, word had gotten out that Charles was killed. This was not the case and Charles was very much still alive and hiding from the police. Many African Americans who were in trouble, were running and hiding from the police at this time. Many people mistook Charles for those people. After the people found out that Charles was not dead, they were angry again. The mob roamed through the city trashing and terrorizing New Orleans’s African American community. They stormed the African American business district only to find it deserted. Over the course of three days, the angry mob took the innocent lives of several African Americans and injured several more. By having these riots, they people hoped to restore some justice in the

On July 25, 1946, two young black couples- Roger and Dorothy Malcom, George and Mae Murray Dorsey-were killed by a lynch mob at the Moore's Ford Bridge over the Appalachee River connecting Walton and Oconee Counties (Brooks, 1). The four victims were tied up and shot hundreds of times in broad daylight by a mob of unmasked men; murder weapons included rifles, shotguns, pistols, and a machine gun. "Shooting a black person was like shooting a deer," George Dorsey's nephew, George Washington Dorsey said (Suggs C1). It has been over fifty years and this case is still unsolved by police investigators. It is known that there were atleast a dozen men involved in these killings. Included in the four that were

When Henry “Dickie” Marrow, a 23 year old black man who was shot and killed by Robert Teel and his two sons, Larry Teel and Roger Oakley, was killed on May 11th, 1970, it was a defining moment for Tyson and the town of Oxford, North Carolina. The ordeal was the result of white supremacist thinking and actions. Larry Teel stated that Marrow was saying inappropriate things to Teel’s young wife. Supposedly Marrow then pulled a knife out and went towards Teel with it after Teel had told him to not speak to his wife in that way. Teel then called for his father and brother to come help him make sure Marrow paid for his mistake. This led to the killing of Dickie Marrow, son, cousin, husband, father, and friend. The Teel’s and Roger Oakley were acquitted of the charges of murder, which may people believe is a result of white supremacy and the Teel’s involvement in the KKK. White supremacy played a major role in day to day life in the South. Both blacks and whites felt the effects on the entire country. There were different bathrooms,

The whites were so adamant to protect their community; they took oppressive measures to save the fellow mates. This incident stands evidence to ill-treatment to African-American people. There existed an unwritten law that the 29th street beach was for whites and the 25th street beach was for African-Americans. On one summer Sunday, a black teenager, Eugene Williams crossed the border while swimming with his friends. The reports said that whites threw stones on him, other said that they injured his head so he got too afraid to come back to the shore. The final statement said that he drowned. This emerged a racial violence’s deadliest episode of Chicago. The police refused to arrest the white Chicagoans. The riots were seen between the whites and the blacks for over a week. Several African-Americans attacked and isolated the whites and vice versa. These riots included deaths of innocent African-Americans and stood out to be one of the most disturbing racial riots to take place in Amercian history. The battle finally ended on August 3, killing 15 whites and 23 African Americans. Not to forget, many were left homeless. This event is significant due to the irrational reasons that marked the beginning of these

Sanford was returning home, around 11:30 p.m. when a group of white men threatened him and he began to run. They did not get far until one of them from the group shot Sanford, who was later pronounced dead. After the police came there were no arrest made that night, even with the assailant being known. The same night Joseph was attacked while coming home from work by the “roughs” and stabbed to death. Many were angered over these murders, however they tried their best to be patience. After the killings of the two black men, there were posters promoted around to kill all the blacks on July 4th. After seeing this post all the black people started to warn people of the riot that was coming and to prepare. Prior to this, since the migration from the South there was competition between the white and black laborers due to the large volume increase of population. From this it created a housing issue for the black people, after being able to take the adjoining homes in neighborhoods this developed friction. Within that period just before the riot there was 27 black residences wrecked by unidentifiable people. From this series of events occurring it struck the tension in both races to soon offset a flame to start a dangerous riot.