EXCLUSIVE
CONTROVERSY ABOUT
PLANNED
1898 MASSACRE
HISTORICAL MARKER
by Cash Michaels
Thanks
to the NHC NAACP, there is movement this week on correcting the wording of a
proposed state historical marker for Wilmington which commemorates the 1898
race massacre.
That
marker, titled “Wilmington Coup,” recalls how, on Nov. 10, 1898, a group of
white supremacists started from the downtown area, going through the port city
killing African-American citizens, and eventually overthrowing the city
government, making the event the only recorded coup de ‘tat in American
history.
The
proposed “Wilmington Coup” marker, however, characterizes the events that began
on Nov. 10, 1898, with the following, and some day, inaccurate, information:
Armed crowd met, Nov. 10, 1898, at armory
here, marched 6 blocks S.E., and burned office of daily Record, black-owned
newspaper edited by Alex Manley. Violence left up to 60 blacks dead. Led to
overthrow of city government and the installation of coup leader Alfred Moore
Waddell as mayor. “Race riot” was part of a statewide political campaign based
on calls for white supremacy & exploitation of racial tensions.
What
many, like the NHC NAACP and others, are calling “inaccurate” per the wording
is the sentence, “Violence left up to 60 blacks dead.”
As
a Wilmington Journal editorial
published in today’s edition points out, even the state’s own six-year
examination of the 1898 Wilmington race massacre is clear in stating that the
number of African-Americans killed during the multi-day race massacre remains
“unknown.”
“The events of
November 10 (the first day of the race massacre) left an unknown number of dead
on Wilmington’s streets. The coroner performed fourteen inquests, but other
evidence indicates that the total number of deaths was as high as sixty,” the
1898 commission report states.
A
June, 2006 story in the New York Times
quoted an 1898 commission member, Lottie Clinton, a retired state port
supervisor and 1 of 13 members of a state-appointed panel, as saying, “Nobody will ever be certain how many people
died the night of Nov. 10, 1898, on the streets, in the marshes where some ran
for safety, or in the swift, wide current of the river that has always defined
this port city. The Cape Fear River could be dammed up with black bodies, but
we have no way of knowing just how many.”
The
so-called “Wilmington Coup” marker was approved in the fall of 2017, according
to www.ncmarkers.com, the website of the
North Carolina Highway Historical Program, which is administered by the
Research Branch of the NC Office of Archives and History. The NC Highway Historical Marker
Advisory Committee, which meets just twice a year, “…[reviews] applications received and determine the wording on
new markers.”
In
this case, according to correspondence The
Journal as seen, the application for the 1898 historical marker was
submitted by the nonprofit group, Working Narratives, headquartered in
Wilmington, which “…[works] with communities to tell great stories that
inspire, activate and enliven our democracy.”
Members of the historical marker advisory committee are
appointed by the secretary of the NC Dept. of Cultural Resources to serve
five-year terms. Their primary job is “…to advise the secretary on the
historical authenticity, relative merit, and appropriateness of each subject
brought to their attention; to approve or disapprove each proposal; to fix the
wording of the inscriptions; and to establish criteria for carrying out the
program.”
There
were ten members of the committee for 2017, two of which had terms to expire in
2017, while two others are set to leave in 2018. All of them are listed as
professors serving at various universities across the state.
However,
only one of those committee members, Dr. Arwin D. Smallwood of N.C. A&T
University in Greensboro, teaches at an historically black university.
Dedication
of the “Wilmington Coup” marker will be left up to local organizers here in
Wilmington. According to the website, the dedication ceremony is tentatively
planned for Market Street between Fourth and Fifth streets. Expected delivery
of the marker is between April and May 2018.
Earlier this
week, Deborah Dicks Maxwell, president of the NHC NAACP, received
correspondence from Rend Smith, communications director for Working Narratives,
who Ms. Maxwell contacted regarding the organization’s original application for
the marker. She had asked Smith to “reach those” at the state Highway
Historical Marker Program about the language of the proposed marker, asking for it to be changed.
“I am very concerned about listing
that only 60 people were killed. It truly minimizes what actually occurred,”
Ms. Maxwell wrote Rend Smith on Dec. 30th. “If you can reach
those who have not made plaque at this time to consider using what is at the
1898 memorial "an unknown number" as we will truly never know the
real number as records of the deaths of African Americans especially at that
time and considering the circumstances were not recorded properly.”
According to a January 2 email from Ansley Herring Wegner, administrator
for the program, to Smith, who passed the response onto Ms. Maxwell, a meeting
is scheduled for Jan. 5 ,”… to
discuss the historical marker language and our options for how to proceed.”
Wegner
went on the marker language may, “…have to [be] put back before the advisory
committee in May…to refine the wording. We can’t make significant changes to
the wording without their involvement. The words are critical and are part of
what the committee is there to advise on.”
Thus
far, Rev. Dr. T. Anthiny Spearman, president of the NCNAACP, and attorney
Irving Joyner, chair of the NCNAACP Legal Redress Committee, and former vice
chair of the 1898 Wilmington Race Riot Commission, are pleased that the with
the response from the state, and that the historical marker program
administrators seem to be moving quickly to resolve the matter, and possibly
correct the language.
“Good
progress,” Joyner reacted in an email.
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Ed-WHY NOT TELL THE TRUTH? [UPDATED WHERE RED INDICATED]
If
you go online, and search Wikipedia for “Wilmington insurrection of 1898,” and
then go down until you find how many were killed during this violent, racist,
unprovoked attack on decent African-American citizens in November 1898, you’ll
see the following:
“Originally
described by white
Americans as a race
riot caused by
blacks…a mob of nearly 2,000 white men attacked the only black newspaper in the
state, and persons and property in black neighborhoods, killing an estimated 15
to more than 60 victims, and destroying homes and businesses built up since the
Civil War.
Now here’s the REAL interesting thing about
this Wikipedia passage – it is based on a June 4, 2006 New York Times article by John DeSantis titled, “Wilmington, N.C.
Revisits a Bloody 1898 Day and Reflects.”
But
that’s NOT “the interesting thing” we’re referring to.
THIS
is:
“Nobody will
ever be certain how many people died the night of Nov. 10, 1898, on the
streets, in the marshes where some ran for safety, or in the swift, wide
current of the river that has always defined this port city. ‘The Cape Fear
River could be dammed up with black bodies, but we have no way of knowing just
how many," said Lottie Clinton, a retired state port supervisor and 1 of
13 members of a state-appointed panel that studied the night's events for six
years. "A lot of people, nobody ever heard from them again, so you just
couldn't know whether they ran away and never came back or were killed.’”
The “commission” The Times
story was referring to then was the 1898
Wilmington Race Riot Commission, and, according to The Times, “The panel….concluded in a
report released this week that what happened was not a riot, but a well-planned
insurrection by white businessmen and former Confederate soldiers, mostly
Democrats, against a lawfully elected government of fusionists and Republicans,
who were mostly black.”
But
that first line of The Times story
from 2006 about one of the key conclusions from a commission member is
extremely important here:
“Nobody will ever be certain how many people
died the night of Nov. 10, 1898, on the streets, in the marshes where some ran
for safety, or in the swift, wide current of the river that has always defined
this port city. The Cape Fear River could be dammed up with black bodies, but
we have no way of knowing just how many.”
OK,
so The Times quotes a commission
member saying “nobody will ever be certain how many people died …” So we go
straight to the commission report, since Ms. Clinton and her fellow commissioners
spent six years putting it together.
Under
“1898 Wilmington Race Riot Commission FINDINGS, bullet point #7 reads, “The events of November 10 (the
first day of the race massacre) left an unknown number of dead on Wilmington’s
streets. The coroner performed fourteen inquests, but other evidence indicates
that the total number of deaths was as high as sixty.”
What
“other evidence?” From where and from whom? And given that some of the first
reports from the days of the race massacre erroneously had blacks attacking
whites, then certainly getting sources of accurate information from the very
people perpetrating or supporting the massacre was absolutely foolhardy.
The
bottomline here is that we DON’T KNOW, and we may NEVER know. There is NO
certainty as to how many blacks in Wilmington were killed then. Serious
research needs to be done by someone reparable on that point, and we simply don’t
have it yet.
So
why, as the new year is just beginning, is The
Journal bringing this up now? Because right before New Year’s Day, it was
reported that the North Carolina Highway Historical Marker Committee had
approved a new plaque, to be placed in downtown Wilmington, commemorating the
1898 race massacre.
According
to published reports, the language on the planned marker reads, in part,
“Violence left up to 60 blacks dead.” But according to the state’s own
commission, that statement IS NOT TRUE!
“The
events of November 10 left an unknown number of dead on Wilmington’s streets.”
So how many bodies were in the Cape Fear River, or elsewhere around what was considered
the largest municipality in North Carolina at that time?
Answer
– NO ONE KNOWS, and the commission report tells us that!
So
why didn’t the state Historical Marker Committee listen? What could possibly be
wrong with the 1898 historical marker stating the same fact the state’s 1898
race massacre report clearly stated – The events of Nov. 10, 1898 left an
UNKNOWN number of blacks dead on Wilmington’s streets.”
And
by the way – history tells us the 1898 race massacre started on November 10,
1898, and lasted for several days thereafter. Thus, if we can’t get a clear
bead on how many were killed on the first day, then how are we supposed to
accept “up to 60…”as the number dead from just ONE DAY as a historical fact?
The Wilmington Journal strongly urges
Rep. Deb Butler, and whomever else is tied into this 1898 historical marker
mess to DELETE that “up to 60” line, and replace it with “…unknown number of African-Americans …,” which is historically accurate, and stated by your own state researchers.
We also salute the immediate action taken by Deborah Dicks Maxwell, president of the NHC NAACP, and Rend Smith, communications director of Working Narratives, the local group that sponsored the marker, for their immediate direct action addressing this issue. They've already gotten the wheels turning.
If the state of North Carolina is going to issue a marker commemorating an historic tragedy that not only changed the state, but the course of history in the South, then it should at least employ proper due diligence in it’s fact finding.
If the state of North Carolina is going to issue a marker commemorating an historic tragedy that not only changed the state, but the course of history in the South, then it should at least employ proper due diligence in it’s fact finding.
If
it was good enough for the state’s 1898 commission, then it’s good enough for
the historic marker committee.
CHANGE
IT NOW!
-30-
2017: A YEAR OF TURMOIL (PART THREE OF THREE)
by Cash Michaels
contributing writer
It
was the year of recovering from the 2016 election of Donald Trump; when a
Democratic governor came into office in North Carolina, bitterly opposed by GOP
lawmakers; and a prominent black leader gained national prominence as he
stepped away from the NCNAACP.
Those
were just some of the top stories impacting North Carolina’s African-American
community we covered in 2017. In the final part of this three part series, we
look back at August to December.
August – A federal three-judge panel
blasted Republican legislative lawmakers for stalling their original August
2016 order to redraw racially gerrymandered legislative voting districts, and
order that they be redraw immediately. Outgoing NCNAACP Pres. Bishop William
Barber, calls the ruling a “major victory.” Meanwhile Bob Hall, executive
director of Democracy: NC, says the GOP are planning to pass another voter ID
suppression law soon. In Charlottesville, Va. a young white woman is killed
after an alleged white supremacist drives a car through a crowed street,
killing her after demonstrators clash. Pres. Trump blames “both sides” for the
violence. North Carolina religious leaders say white supremacist violence can
happen here.
After
statewide hearings, Republican lawmakers release redrawn redistricting maps,
but plaintiffs suing to have new maps redraw legally show that the new maps are
still unconstitutional. Sensing that the federal judicial panel is not pleased
with the new maps, Republican leaders – who insist that race was not used in
redrawing the districts - start
publicly denouncing the process, and threatening to appeal to the US Supreme
Court. Six past and current NC Supreme Court justices gather for the first time
ever to commemorate their legacy on the state’s High Court. North Carolina’s
two black congress-people, Alma Adams and G. K. Butterfield, stop short of
saying that Pres. Donald Trump should be impeached.
September – Democrats express concern
about Republican legislative efforts to craft a judicial redistricting plan.
The NCNAACP joins the plaintiffs in the legislative redistricting case,
charging that on the redrawn maps, 12 of the new districts are still racial
gerrymanders, and are in violation of federal law. The US Census Bureau reports
that more than 1.5 million North Carolinians live in poverty in the state.
October – Bishop Dr. William Barber
formally steps down as president of the NCNAACP. Rev. Dr. T. Anthony Spearman
is elected to succeed him. Activist at the NCNAACP Convention in Raleigh warn
about judicial redistricting, and other legal changes Republicans are planning.
Federal partisan gerrymandering trial begins in Greensboro, with witnesses for
the plaintiffs testifying that North Carolina’s partisan voting maps were
extreme, allowing Republicans to win 10 of 13 congressional seats.
Rep. Alma Adams blasts Pres. Trump for essentially calling a
black gold star widow a liar. Republican state Sen. Bill Rabon files a bill
during the third Special Session of the year, reducing terms of service for
state Supreme Court justices from eight years to just two. A federal
three-judge panel designates a Special Master to redraw GOP redistricting maps.
Despite efforts Pres. Trump, people flock to sign-up during the open enrollment
period for the Affordable Care Act.
November - On Election Day, Vy Lyles is elected the first black female
mayor of Charlotte, and Kinston elects an all-black Town Council. Durham Mayor
Bill Bell steps down after a successful 16 years in office. Gov. Cooper orders
more state business be done with minority companies. Rep. Alma Adams blasts
Pres. Trump’s tax reform plan. Civil rights attorney Anita Earls announces 2018
run for state Supreme Court. Bishop Barber announces he’s going to Rome to meet
the Pope. When he arrives, Barber is surprised that other world leaders know
and admire him from his Moral Monday marches. Rev. Jesse Jackson announces he
has Parkinson’s Disease.
December - Gov. Cooper and Chief Justice Mark Martin agree to meet with
the NCNAACP about criminal justice issues. Bishop Barber announces national
Poor People’s Campaign to begin in May, 2018. As blacks in the Alabama US
Senate race help to defeat Republican candidate Roy Moore, the African-American
Caucus of the NC Democratic Party gears up to turnout the black vote in 2018.
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NORTH CAROLINA PRAYS
FO REV. JESSE JACKSON
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
It
was Sunday, Dec. 12th, just over a month after veteran civil rights
leader, Rev. Jesse Jackson, announced that he was suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
Bishop
William Barber, pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, and former
president of the NCNAACP, was back in his pulpit after a being away for several
weeks. During his remarks to the congregation, Barber stopped, and suddenly
asked worshippers to say a prayer
for his friend.
“You
all pray for Rev. Jackson,” Dr. Barber asked. “He has been suffering
from…Parkinson’s, and the last time I was with him, he had to hold onto my arm
to steady himself. I didn’t know exactly what was happening then.”
That
“last time” was during the 74th Annual NCNAACP Convention in Raleigh
in October, where Rev. Jackson came to participate, on his way to Greensboro
for N.C. A&T University’s Homecoming. Jackson is a 1964 alum of the
historically black university, one of his many ties to the Tar Heel state.
It
was also at the NCNAACP Convention that one of Rev. Jackson’s closest friends
from the civil rights movement, Rev. Cardes Brown, president of the Greensboro
NAACP branch, last saw him, but didn’t realize that anything was wrong.
“I
didn’t know at the time, but there seemed to be something [wrong with him], but
we didn’t discuss it,” Rev. Brown, who is also Senior Pastor of New Light
Missionary Baptist Church in Greensboro, recalled two weeks later.
Rev.
Jackson, 76, revealed his affliction – the same one that claimed the life of
boxing legend Muhammad Ali in 2016 – on November 17th. Jackson’s
father also suffered from Parkinson’s disease.
“My family and I
began to notice changes about three years ago,” the founder and president of
the Rainbow PUSH Coalition said in a statement issued then. “For a while, I
resisted interrupting my work to visit a doctor. But as my daily physical
struggles intensified I could no longer ignore the symptoms, so I acquiesced.”
According
to Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, which diagnosed Rev. Jackson’s condition
in 2014, Parkinson’s disease is a “progressive degenerative disorder that
results from loss of cells in various parts of the brain that control
movement.”
Those
who see Rev. Jackson more often say they noticed a “change in his walk and a
slowed speech.”
Charmaine
McKissick-Melton, a professor at North Carolina Central University in Durham,
has long been friends with Rev. Jackson since the days he used to work with her
father, legendary civil rights attorney Floyd McKissick.
She
says she’s known for years that Jackson was suffering from Parkinson’s disease,
but said nothing.
“We
knew something was wrong, because we saw Ali at the beginning,”
McKissick-Melton said. “So I had seen that shake thing, but I didn’t say
anything to Jesse.”
She
added that the symptoms were apparent to her when she saw Jackson at NCCU in
2012 , two years before he was diagnosed.
On
Christmas Day. Rev. Jackson continued his decade-long tradition of ministering
to the inmates at the Cook County jail in Chicago. He told The Associated Press that he’s adopted a daily regimen of physical therapy, medication, and
prayer. He is also traveling less now, but still continues his civil rights
work.
“This
is a man who wore his body out trying to empower the lives of others, as well
as continue to fight for freedom,” Rev. John Mendez, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist
Church in Winston-Salem, and another close friend of Rev. Jackson, said
Wednesday. He adds that there is a message in Rev. Jackson’s courage.
“You
cannot stand for the cause of civil rights and justice, without courage.”
Rev.
Brown agrees.
“Jesse,
in my opinion, is a very courageous person. He doesn’t focus on himself. We’ve
been friends for years, and he’s a person of faith, and we’re trusting that he
will continue to do the work that he’s been doing, even with the diagnosis and
the condition.
“I
know him well enough to know that he will fight to the finish,” Rev. Brown
added.
-30-