- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Kirk’s New Book Chapter Explores Sweet Willie Wine’s 1969 Walk Against Fear

John Hill — Thu, 16 Jun 2022 13:08:36 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock history professor has written a new book chapter that explores how Black activism in Arkansas changed between the Elaine Massacre in 1919 and Sweet Willie Wine’s Walk Against Fear in 1969. The chapter appears in a new book, “Race, Labor, and Violence in the Delta: Essays to Mark the Centennial of the Elaine Massacre,” which was published in May by the University of Arkansas Press. During the Walk Against Fear, Lance “Sweet Willie Wine” Watson, the leader of a Memphis Black power group called the Invaders, led a protest walk from West Memphis to Little Rock in August 1969. The walk mirrored a 1966 protest by James Meredith, the man who integrated the University of Mississippi. Meredith was shot and wounded�� during his march against fear across rural Mississippi. Watson’s�� protest brought much media attention to civil rights in Arkansas. “Watson said that it demonstrated African Americans could have free movement across Arkansas, that they could take a stand, and that they didn’t need to be afraid,” Kirk said. “The walk has become an iconic piece of Arkansas civil rights history. A lot of those Delta communities still carry the folklore of Sweet Willie Wine from 1969.” The chapter focuses on how government responses to Black activism changed over the 50 years between the Elaine Massacre and the Walk Against Fear. During the Elaine Massacre, Gov. Charles Brough called in 500 soldiers from Camp Pike to quell what was called an insurrection at the time, but the government response to the Walk Against Fear was quite different. “One of the interesting things about the march is how it was policed,” Kirk said. “During the Elaine Massacre, the governor mobilized federal troops that some claim only worsened the situation. Watson’s walk against fear was escorted by the police to make sure he wasn’t attacked. The state knew that would bring unwanted media attention. In some ways, the state’s role in policing the event was completely opposite to the Elaine Massacre. Watson even complimented the police for protecting the walkers.” Unlike the Elaine Massacre, Watson’s walk in Arkansas was highly publicized during the event and brought a lot of media attention to Eastern Arkansas. “In 1919, rural Arkansas was cut off from the rest of the world,” Kirk said. “In 1969, Watson started his march with a press conference. He knew that it was riskier for people to act against Black activists with the media watching. The state was aware of the potential negative media attention, so they policed those events quite differently. The role of the state in policing civil rights demonstrations is what changed the most between 1919 and 1969.” Even with police escorts, Watson’s march was not without conflict. In the small town of Hazen, residents blocked off entrances to the town and armed themselves with guns. The anticipated standoff did not occur when the residents found out that only a small number of people would be walking through their town. “The walk lasted three days, and it was different on each day,” Kirk said. “There were hundreds of walkers by the time it reached Little Rock. The citizens in Hazen barricaded the town and mobilized the gun club. They were prepared to hunker down and fight off what they believed was a horde of Black activists coming through town. It showed the fear that whites still had of Black activism in the Delta.” Now in his 80s, Watson, who is now known as Minister Suhkara Yahweh, remains an influential figure in Black activism. “I interviewed him in 2018 in Forrest City,” Kirk said. “Some of the people in the library there talked with him, and he was treated like a celebrity. There is also an award-winning poem that was based on the march. It is a psychologically powerful piece of Arkansas folklore. I wanted to research and investigate it and inscribe it into history on its 50th anniversary.”

Mitchell co-authors second edition of ‘Blood in Their Eyes’

John Hill — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 23:36:00 +0000

When author, historian, and lawyer Grif Stockley published “Blood in Their Eyes: The Elaine Race Massacre of 1919” in 2001, it renewed public interest in the 1919 Elaine Massacre, which is now known as the deadliest racial conflict in Arkansas history. Dr. Brian Mitchell, an assistant professor of history at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, said there are still plenty of mysteries left to uncover surrounding the Elaine Massacre. After doing extensive research on the subject for the past six years, Mitchell joined Stockley and Dr. Guy Lancaster, editor of the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, as a co-author of the second edition of The new book, which was released by the University of Arkansas Press, comes 101 years after the Elaine Massacre began on Sept. 30, 1919. White law enforcement officers attempted to stop a meeting of the Progressive Farmers and Household Union of America at a church in Hoop Spur. Shots were fired. In the following days, a mob of an estimated 500 to 1,000 people went through Phillips County. In the history world, Mitchell has developed a reputation for his ability to uncover information about the Elaine Massacre and other injustices in history. He said the most compelling information in the second version of “Blood in Their Eyes” is the new evidence of the event that triggered the Elaine Massacre. “It’s becoming increasingly more evident that the story of black men trying to take over the county was created and planted as an excuse to explain the amount of violence and give the other sharecroppers the opportunity to keep quiet about what was happening,” Mitchell said. “It reminded sharecroppers who were being cheated that they could be killed or end up in prison for the rest of their lives if they spoke up.” There have always been competing narratives surrounding the Elaine Massacre. White authorities claimed the Black population was planning a revolt. The Black sharecroppers said the white population carried out a massacre and murdered an unknown number of Black people, though experts have estimated the number to be between 100 and 300. Some accounts claim that white law enforcement officers came across the union meeting in Hoop Spur unintentionally. However, Mitchell said new records uncovered in recent years show that the white men arriving at the union meeting that led to the deadly massacre was anything but unintentional. “Early accounts of the massacre indicate the police officers involved in the Hoop Spur shooting arrived there totally by happenstance, that they were having car problems, and then there was a shootout,” Mitchell said. “That doesn’t hold water with a lot of the new information that we have.” New evidence shows that the Black sharecroppers hired a Little Rock attorney named Ulysses Bratton to represent them. When their employers learned they were about to be sued, they got angry. “We finally have proof, largely due to my research, that shows that the union members knew about the union meeting prior to the shooting at Hoop Spur,” Mitchell said. “That really changes the narrative. We also found evidence that the plantation owners had spies in the union.” These new records include the minute book of American Legion Post 41 in Helena, which has records detailing the legion’s actions before and after the Elaine Massacre. Many of the American Legion members, who were World War I veterans, were deputized after the shootout at Hoop Spur, participated in the Elaine Massacre, and led an effort to ensure the execution of Black people arrested after the massacre. An account of the American Legion meeting from Oct. 19, 1920, describes a report from the “committee handling question of securing execution of Negroes sentenced to die in connection with insurrection” as well as an approved motion to “demand execution of Negroes convicted” from the insurrection. The new version of “Blood in Their Eyes” also details the injustices that occurred following the Elaine Massacre, when hundreds of Black people were rounded up and charged with crimes. The most famous of these became known as the Elaine 12. They were convicted of murder and sentenced to death for their alleged roles in the events of the Elaine Massacre. Attorney Scipio Jones rose to national prominence after successfully defending the Elaine 12 in a precedent-setting Supreme Court decision, Moore vs. Dempsey, that would later overturn their convictions. Mitchell and his students at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock have researched what happened to the Elaine 12 following their release from prison. They have been successful in locating the graves of six members of the Elaine 12. Mitchell created the Elaine 12 Foundation at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to raise money to place historic markers at the sites. In March, the first historic marker for a member of the Elaine 12 was placed at Little Rock National Cemetery, where Frank Moore, a World War I veteran, is buried. Mitchell’s research for “Blood in Their Eyes” has taken him across the state, to Kansas, Missouri, and to Washington, D.C. “It’s been a particularly hard thing to research,” he said. “When there is a massacre and people cover it up, it’s typically hard to find records.” Mitchell has worked with U.S. Rep. French Hill to obtain a Purple Heart and other medals for the family of Pvt. Leroy Johnston, a World War I veteran who was killed in the Elaine Massacre with his three brothers just months after coming home from the war. Johnston earned several military honors for his service to his country, but did not receive them at the time of his discharge or death due to racial discrimination. In another project, Mitchell has a new graphic history book coming out in February 2021, which tells the history of James Oscar Dunn, the country’s first black lieutenant governor and distant relative of Mitchell. “Monumental: Oscar Dunn and his Radical Fight in Reconstruction Louisiana” will be published by The Historic New Orleans Collections.

Professor’s research leads to historic marker for Elaine 12 member Frank Moore

John Hill — Thu, 12 Mar 2020 17:41:31 +0000

An historic marker was unveiled March 6 at Little Rock National Cemetery to signify the location where Frank Moore, a member of the Elaine 12, is buried.�� Moore, a World War I veteran, was one of a dozen men who were convicted of murder and sentenced to death for their alleged roles in the deaths of five white men during the 1919 Elaine Massacre, the deadliest racial conflict in Arkansas history. A precedent-setting Supreme Court decision named for Moore (Moore vs. Dempsey) would later overturn their convictions. “This was one of the first victories that the NAACP will have,” said Dr. Brian Mitchell, assistant professor of history at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. “It is one of the first national blows that will be struck against lynching in America.” During the fall 2018 semester, Mitchell, along with students from his Intro to Public History class, conducted research to locate the graves of the Elaine 12. After combing through public records, databases, and even cemeteries, they found six grave sites. Mitchell then created the Elaine 12 Foundation at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to raise money to place historic markers at the sites. Moore is the first of the Elaine 12 to receive a marker. Moore served as a private in the 162nd Depot Brigade during World War I. After being honorably discharged, he moved to Phillips County, where he sharecropped on the farm of Billy Archdale. As harvest got closer, the planter drove away most of the sharecropping families by exaggerating their debts at the plantation store. Many families were left starving and abandoned their homes and crops. In May 1919, Moore became ill and asked Archdale to borrow $10 to go to the hospital. Archdale refused. Moore borrowed money from a friend, and his wife laid rows of cotton and tended the crops while Moore recovered in the hospital. He was among the first of the sharecroppers in the area to join the Progressive Farmers and Household Union of America, and was present at the fateful union meeting on Sept. 30, 1919. When local police officers interrupted the meeting, a shootout occurred, sparking the Elaine Massacre. An unknown number of black people were killed, though experts have estimated the number is between 100 and 237.

Brian Mitchell, middle, talks about the significance of a historic marker for Frank Moore, a member of the Elaine 12, placed March 6 in Little Rock National Cemetery. Photo by Ben Krain.

“Members of the Progressive Farmers and Household Union of America hired an attorney because they wanted to do things the right thing,” Mitchell said. “They didn’t plan an insurrection like the newspapers reported. These events cost many people their lives. To this day, we don’t even know how many people lost their lives in the Elaine Massacre.” Moore’s marker was the 10th marker placed in the Division of Arkansas Heritage’s program to assist communities in the placement of historical markers across the state. It is also a part of the Arkansas Peace & Justice Memorial Movement’s “Seeing AR History in 20/20” Campaign. ��“This marker is an important one to the Arkansas Historical Marker Program,” said Stacy Hurst, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism. “Last year was the 100th anniversary of the Elaine Race Massacre. We are reminded why we must remember our past and learn from it, even those parts that address the most terrible parts of our history.” With Moore’s marker now installed, the effort to place markers for the additional members of the Elaine 12 turns to Rev. Joseph Knox, who is buried at Little Rock’s Haven of Rest Cemetery. After his release from prison, Knox moved with his family to his hometown of Cotton Plant, Arkansas. Knox’s granddaughter, Dorothy Neal, was the only descendant of the Elaine 12 to attend the ceremony. She’s been in touch with Mitchell after hearing about his research, and is pleased to know that her grandfather will be honored, especially since he and his fellow sharecroppers were just trying to do the right thing and get equal pay for their cotton. “It just warms your heart to know that he’s not forgotten, even though a lot of people don’t know him, didn’t know anything about him just until lately,” Neal said. Donations to the Elaine 12 Foundation can be made online by selecting College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences in the drop down box and then typing in “Elaine 12” in the Fund Other box. Checks can be made out to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with “Elaine 12” written in the descriptive information line. Checks can be mailed to University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Office of Alumni and Development, 2801 S. University, Little Rock, AR 72204.

Brian Mitchell, left, and Dorothy Neal, right, visit the grave of Frank Moore at Little Rock National Cemetery. Photo by Ben Krain.

Historic marker to be placed at Little Rock National Cemetery to honor Elaine 12 member Frank Moore

John Hill — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 15:00:23 +0000

Brian Mitchell, assistant professor of history at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock who has conducted extensive research on the Elaine Massacre, has long waited for the day when Frank Moore, a member of the Elaine 12, would be honored with a historic marker at his final resting place.�� The Division of Arkansas Heritage and the Elaine 12 Foundation will place Moore’s marker during a ceremony at noon on Friday, March 6, at Little Rock National Cemetery, 2523 Springer Blvd. During his fall 2018 Intro to Public History Class, Mitchell and his students searched through public records, databases, and cemeteries to locate the missing graves of the Elaine 12. Through their hard work, they located the graves of six members of the Elaine 12. Mitchell created the Elaine 12 Foundation at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2018 to raise funds to place markers on the graves of the Elaine 12 and headstone on the graves of those without. “Frank Moore will be the first of the Elaine 12 to receive a marker,” Mitchell said. “Moore is the namesake of Moore vs. Dempsey, the landmark Supreme Court case that ultimately granted these men clemency.”�� Moore, a World War I veteran buried at Little Rock National Cemetery in 1932, moved to Phillips County after being honorably discharged from the U.S. Army. He worked on a farm and was a member of the Progressive Farmers and Household Union of America. On Sept. 30, 1919, local police officers interrupted a union meeting, and a shootout occurred, sparking the Elaine Massacre.�� Moore and 11 other union members were charged with first-degree murder for their alleged roles in the deaths of white men involved in the killings. The men’s death sentences were eventually overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, and all men were released from prison by 1925. Moore’s marker will be the 10th marker placed in the Division of Arkansas Heritage’s program to assist communities in the placement of historical markers across the state since it was introduced last year. Markers are sponsored by civic groups and organizations, who split the cost of the markers with the Division of Arkansas Heritage.�� “This marker is an important one to the Arkansas Historical Marker Program,” said Stacy Hurst, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. “Last year was the 100th anniversary of the Elaine Race Massacre. We are reminded why we must remember our past and learn from it, even those parts that address the most terrible parts of our history.” Following Moore’s ceremony, Mitchell hopes to next honor Joseph Knox, a member of the Elaine 12 who is buried at Little Rock’s Haven of Rest Cemetery. Additional members of the Elaine 12 are buried in Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, and Ohio.�� Locating the graves of the Elaine 12 has been a difficult task. Following their release from prison, most members of the Elaine 12 fled the state and changed their names. Many of them lived the rest of their lives in exile, fearing for their safety, with their family members never knowing what happened to them.�� Mitchell plans to take up the search again this summer to locate the remaining grave sites. The Elaine 12 Foundation has raised enough money for three markers, but hopes to eventually place markers at all 12 burial sites. “It is a significant project because up until this point, we have only known their names and haven’t known what happens after their release from jail after they are on death row,” Mitchell said. “Some of the graves we’ve found don’t have a headstone, so to be able to put a headstone as well as a marker would be meaningful.” Donations to the Elaine 12 Foundation can be made online by selecting College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences in the drop down box and then typing in “Elaine 12” in the Fund Other box. Checks can be made out to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with “Elaine 12” written in the descriptive information line. Checks can be mailed to University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Office of Alumni and Development, 2801 S. University, Little Rock, AR 72204.

Mitchell attends State of the Union as Rep. Hill’s Guest

John Hill — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 17:46:20 +0000

Dr. Brian Mitchell, an assistant professor of history at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, attended the State of the Union on Feb. 4. U.S. Rep. French Hill, a Republican from Little Rock, invited Mitchell as his guest. In addition to the State of the Union, Mitchell also visited the Smithsonian National Museum of African History and Culture and the U.S. House of Representatives. Mitchell and Hill have worked together in recent years to honor black World War I soldiers whose history has been overlooked. In 2018, the duo worked together to obtain a Purple Heart and other medals for the family of Pvt. Leroy Johnston, a World War I veteran who was killed in the Elaine Massacre with his three brothers just months after coming home from the war. Johnston earned several military honors for his service to his country, but did not receive them at the time of his discharge or death due to racial discrimination. This collaboration was the inspiration for Hill’s introduction of the World War I Valor Medals Review Act, which reviews the military records of all minority service members during World War I to determine if they received the proper recognition. The act was included in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. “Dr. Mitchell’s partnership was instrumental in the World War I Valor Medals Review Act being signed into law in December,” Congressman Hill said. “His work advocating on behalf of victims of past racial discrimination sets right injustices perpetrated against African Americans and other minority groups. Only by acknowledging tragedy can we begin to heal and move forward together towards a more hopeful future.” Mitchell and Hill are now working to recognize the contributions of Scipio Jones, a black attorney who rose to national prominence after successfully defending the Elaine 12, a dozen men who were sentenced to death by all-white juries after the Elaine Massacre.

Elaine 12 inducted into Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 13 Nov 2019 14:40:41 +0000

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Elaine Massacre, the deadliest racial conflict in Arkansas history, but the scars of the tragedy still follow the family members of the victims generations later. Shelia Walker, who lives in Delaware, always knew her family held a closely guarded secret. Her great-uncle, Albert Giles, was a member of the Elaine 12, a dozen black sharecroppers in Phillips County who were wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to death by an all-white jury following the Elaine Massacre in 1919.�� The Elaine 12 were eventually freed after the landmark Moore vs. Dempsey Supreme Court ruling in 1923. Afterwards, Giles fled Arkansas in fear of his safety and spent the rest of his life in Illinois, where he eventually was laid to rest in Springfield, far away from his family members who knew little about his life after incarceration. “My grandmother, who was traumatized by all this, was never able to really be close to her only child, my mother, and her grandchild,” Walker said. “My family suffered because of the Elaine Massacre. The effects still carries on a generation later.”�� The University of Arkansas at Little Rock inducted the now deceased members of the Elaine 12 into the Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail during a ceremony at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown on Nov. 5. The men include Giles, Alfred Banks, Ed Coleman, Joe Fox, Paul Hall, Ed Hicks, Frank Hicks, Joe Knox, John Martin, Frank Moore, Ed Ware, and William Wordlaw. “Throughout the summer and now this fall, there have been numerous events around the state marking this important anniversary,” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chancellor Christina Drale said. “It is important because telling the stories of those who lived through the incredible violence in the summer of 1919, we learn from what is now all our story.”��

Elaine Legacy Center representative Lenora Marshall said the commemoration of the Elaine 12 means everything to the people of Elaine and allows them to talk about an event that was once considered taboo.
Photo by Ben Krain.

Lenora Marshall, member of the Elaine Quorum Court and representative of the Elaine Legacy Center, said the commemoration of the Elaine 12 means everything to the people of Elaine and allows them to talk about an event that was once considered taboo.�� “It’s a tremendous move because there has been a gag order for far too long on the people of Elaine,” Marshall said. “Everyone was afraid to talk about it. Just as Little Rock has the Little Rock Nine who survived struggles, we have the Elaine 12 to raise up as civil rights heroes.”�� The Elaine Massacre began Sept. 30, 1919, when representatives of the Progressive Farmers and Household Union of America met with approximately 100 African-American farmers at a church in Hoop Spur, near Elaine, to discuss unionizing. When a group of white men who learned about the meeting interrupted the discussion, two law enforcement officers were shot. A mob of an estimated 500 to 1,000 white people stormed through Phillips County, killing black men, women, and children on site. U.S. troops were called in, and the mob dispersed Oct. 2. Historians estimate that more than 200 African-American men, women, and children were murdered during the Elaine Massacre, and hundreds more were convicted of crimes in the aftermath.�� “Held in concentration camps, hundreds of black sharecroppers were detained until their participation in the union could be verified,” said Kwami Abdul-Bey, co-convener of the Arkansas Peace and Justice Memorial Movement. “Scores of the union members were charged with assault, murder, and night riding. Twelve members were charged with capital murder and sentenced to death in trials that lasted no more than 20 minutes each. The total amount of time to convict them was 86 minutes.” After the Elaine 12 were released from prison, much was left unknown about their lives. However, Dr. Brian Mitchell, assistant professor of history at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, has been conducting research with his students to solve mysteries surrounding the Elaine Massacre. One of the research projects included researching the post-prison lives of the Elaine 12, so that historical markers can be placed on their grave sites.��

Dr. Brian Mitchell thanks and congratulates history students for their contributions to the Elaine 12 study. Photo by Ben Krain.

“I really want to thank my students for all their hard work,” Mitchell said. “One of the things we strive to do at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is prepare our students for the future. To take the study of the Elaine Massacre from obscurity to a national story has been done with the efforts of the students.”�� Mitchell’s students read the names of the Elaine 12 at the induction ceremony. Four family members of the Elaine 12 accepted medallions on their behalf. They include Walker, great-niece of Albert Giles; Rev. Stephen Bradley, a relative of Ed Coleman; Dorothy Neal, granddaughter of Joe Knox; and Lisa Hicks-Gilbert, family member of Frank and Ed Hicks.�� Hicks-Gilbert, who only decided to speak publicly a few days before the event, said the ceremony gave her an opportunity to break her family’s silence regarding the Elaine Massacre.�� “I was very reluctant to come and speak today,” Hicks-Gilbert said. “I speak today for the Elaine 12, who changed their names and hid even from family and were never able to tell their own stories, and for my granddad, who knew of his family’s history but told my grandmother to hush and never speak of it again if asked.”�� Gene Thompson, a recent history graduate of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock who conducted research with Mitchell, felt grateful that the stories of the Elaine 12 were now in the spotlight.�� “This is a story that needs to be told, and I’m glad to have been a part of telling it,” Thompson said. “The Elaine Massacre is a sad part of Arkansas history. To finally get the truth out and to be a part of that has been a thrilling experiences”�� In another research project related to the Elaine Massacre, Mitchell and his students uncovered the story of Leroy Johnston, a World War I veteran who was killed with three of his brothers during the Elaine Massacre. Mitchell’s research discovered that Johnston’s medical records from World War I were altered, preventing him from receiving the military honors he deserved. Mitchell brought Johnston’s story to the attention of U.S. Rep. French Hill who worked on correcting the record. In November 2018, Johnston was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.

Sheila Walker thanks Dr. Brian Mitchell while being honored as a descendant of the Elaine 12. Photo by Ben Krain.

“This is a momentous occasion where we honor the lives and legacy of the Elaine 12 and the other victims of that dark moment in Arkansas’s history,” Hill said. “However, history teaches us that indeed we can learn from our past and together build a better society. We wouldn’t be here if not for the work of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and Brian Mitchell and the extraordinary work the university has done on behalf of the Elaine Massacre.”�� Following the ceremony, the new markers were unveiled on the north sidewalk of President Clinton Avenue between Cumberland Street and Rock Street. Second Presbyterian Church helped fund the markers with a $4,000 grant from the church’s Social Justice Advocacy Committee. East-Harding Construction has partnered with the university for the past 11 years to provide materials for the trail markers and install them.�� Little Rock Mayor and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumnus Frank Scott, who gave closing remarks, said we must learn from the mistakes of the past to ensure that events like the Elaine Massacre are never repeated.�� “We understand the Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail acknowledges the past and commemorates trailblazers,” Scott said. “It honors our past but also acknowledges the horror. We thank our ancestors for what they have done. We acknowledge them, we respect them, but we give our firm commitment that it will never happen again.”�� The Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail was founded by the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Anderson Institute on Race and Ethnicity in 2011 to acknowledge the sacrifices and achievements made by those who fought for racial and ethnic justice in Arkansas. Last year, the Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail was named a part of the U.S. Civil Rights Trail.�� The trail begins in front of the Old State House Convention Center on Markham Street and will eventually extend to the William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park. Each honoree’s name is commemorated with a 12-inch bronze marker on the trail and a biography on the trail’s website.��

Civil Rights Heritage Trail Induction Ceremony to Honor Elaine 12

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 19:17:53 +0000

The 12 exonerated defendants from the 1919 Elaine Massacre will become a permanent part of the Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail on Nov. 5. Markers commemorating each of them will be unveiled at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s annual Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail Induction Ceremony at 10 a.m. Nov. 5 at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown, 333 President Clinton Ave.�� Speakers at the ceremony will include ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chancellor Christina Drale; U.S. Congressman French Hill; Lenora Marshall, a member of the Elaine Quorum Court, Kwami Abdul-Bey, co-convenor of the Arkansas Peace and Justice Memorial Movement; and Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott. Dr. Brian Mitchell, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock assistant history professor, and his students will read the names and birth and death places of the Elaine 12 defendants. Dr. Mitchell and his students have done extensive research on the Elaine Massacre. This year’s event will honor the Elaine 12, a group of black sharecroppers in Phillips County who were wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to death by all-white juries in the wave of quick, unjust criminal prosecutions of black people that followed the Elaine Massacre of 1919. This is the 100th commemorative year of the Elaine Massacre. The Elaine 12 include Alfred Banks, Ed Coleman, Joe Fox, Albert Giles, Paul Hall, Ed Hicks, Frank Hicks, Joe Knox, John Martin, Frank Moore, Ed Ware, and William Wordlaw. Two of the men are known to be buried in Arkansas. Frank Moore, a World War I veteran, is buried in the National Cemetery in Little Rock, while Joe Knox also is buried in Arkansas at the Haven of Rest Cemetery in Little Rock.�� The convictions of six of the Elaine 12 were overturned in the landmark Supreme Court ruling, Moore vs. Dempsey, in 1923. Following their release from prison, most members of the Elaine 12 fled the state and changed their names. Many of them lived the rest of their lives in exile, fearing for their safety, with their family members never knowing what happened to them. The Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail was created by the Anderson Institute on Race and Ethnicity in 2011 to acknowledge the sacrifices and achievements made by those who fought for racial and ethnic justice in Arkansas. Last year, the Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail was named a part of the. The trail begins in front of the Old State House Convention Center on Markham Street and will eventually extend to the William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park. Each honoree’s name is commemorated with a 12-inch bronze marker on the trail and a biography on the trail’s website.�� This year’s markers will be installed on the north sidewalk of President Clinton Avenue between Cumberland Street and Rock Street.�� Since the trail’s inception in 2011, East-Harding Construction has partnered with the university to install each year’s markers along the trail.�� East-Harding has provided the labor and supplies for the installation, representing a key role in the trail’s development and expansion.�� New markers are added to the trail each year in a public ceremony that also recognizes civil rights activities of the past and those who work for racial equality today. The ceremonies have honored sit-ins and freedom rides, the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School, the desegregation of downtown Little Rock, the efforts of professionals in the areas of medicine and healthcare, politics and law, and economic advancement, as well as Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller.

Newly discovered historic records reveal new details surrounding the Elaine Massacre

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 31 Jul 2019 16:58:52 +0000

As Arkansas honors the 100th anniversary of the Elaine Massacre this year, a University of Arkansas at Little Rock professor and alumnus are uncovering more secrets surrounding one of the worst race massacres in the country’s history.�� Joseph Alley, a 2016 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate and curator of the, recently discovered the minute book of American Legion Post 41 in Helena. The minute book has entries from the post’s inception in 1919, the same year the Elaine Massacre occurred, through 1925. “Dr. Brian Mitchell (assistant professor of history at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock) and I were talking after the Elaine Massacre Conference held at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center on June 1,” Alley said. “He mentioned some of the documents he was still trying to find, and I mentioned we have all of the Women’s Library Association’s original ledgers from 1888 and on. This was the group that founded the Phillips County Library and Museum. As I was initially going through them, there was one book labeled ‘American Legion.’ Low and behold, it was the 1919 minute book ledger.” In September 1919, representatives of the Progressive Farmers and Household Union of America met with approximately 100 African-American farmers at a church in Hoop Spur, near Elaine, to discuss unionizing. When a group of white men interrupted the meeting, two white men were shot. A mob of an estimated 500 to 1,000 white people stormed through Phillips County, killing black men, women, and children on sight. U.S. troops were called in, and the mob dispersed Oct. 2. Under an entry titled “POST IN ACTION,” the minute book described the actions of local American Legion members in the midst of the Elaine Massacre on Oct. 1, 1919.�� “…members of the Post were summoned to the Court House as a result of the Assassination of a Special Agent… They were among the first to arrive on the scene of the murder and in the subsequent fighting negro rioters.” Two American Legion members and World War I veterans, James A. Tappan and Clinton Lee, died during the Elaine Massacre. The American Legion members adopted “Resolutions of Respect to the Memory of James A. Tappan and Clinton Lee” on Oct. 14, 1919. The men were heralded as war heroes, and their names were later added to a memorial plaque honoring American Legion members killed during World War I, despite the fact that Tappan and Lee did not die during the war.�� The resolutions state that “There has been an insurrection of Negroes in Phillips County, and the lives and property of our citizens have been placed in jeopardy.” The resolutions further say that Tappan and Lee were killed “while in the line of duty… In preserving law and order and defending the lives and property of our fellow citizens from attacks by Negro insurrections.”

Recently discovered American Legion records from Helena, Arkansas, discuss how two American Legion members and World War I veterans, James A. Tappan and Clinton Lee, died during the Elaine Massacre.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Dr. Brian Mitchell, who is studying the records, said the records are significant because they show a history of those who were directly involved in the Elaine Massacre and show some of the motivations behind their actions. “We know that the first interaction that the sharecroppers union had after the Hoop Spur shooting came from a group of deputized American Legion members who had just returned from World War I,” Mitchell said. “One of the things that the minute book reveals are the efforts that were made by the general populace to ensure, even before trial, that the leaders of the Progressive Farmers and Household Workers Union would be sentenced to death.” Following the Elaine Massacre, hundreds of African Americans were arrested and convicted in questionable trials by all-white juries. The most notorious were a group known as the Elaine 12, a dozen black sharecroppers who were convicted of murder and sentenced to death. An account of the American Legion meeting from Oct. 19, 1920, describes a report from the “committee handling question of securing execution of Negroes sentenced to die in connection with insurrection” as well as an approved motion to “demand execution of Negroes convicted” from the insurrection. According to Mitchell, some members of the American Legion were highly motivated to ensure that black men arrested after the Elaine Massacre received the death penalty in order to send a message to the remaining sharecroppers. “The minute book talks about the contacts they (American Legion members) make with the governor and their demands to be part of the investigation,” Mitchell said. “The same people who were in the mob that hunted down people during the massacre then made demands on the governor that the men would be given the death penalty. They wanted the death penalty because they wanted to send an example for other sharecroppers that might consider legal action against them for stealing their wages. This further substantiates the Supreme Court’s ruling in Moore vs. Dempsey that these individuals did not receive a fair trial.”�� While the minute book will not be on display at the Helena Museum, as it is considered too fragile for display, a digital copy will be made available for public access through the Arkansas State Archives at the end of the summer. “Records of groups and organizations add much to our knowledge about the history of a community by offering a different perspective about events than what newspapers or other published sources give us,” said Wendy Richter, director or the Arkansas State Archives and state historian. “Such records often prove to be valuable resources for researchers.” Mitchell plans to study the records and include the information in a book he is writing with Dr. Guy Lancaster, editor of the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture, and Dr. Grif Stockley, author of “Blood in Their Eyes: The Elaine Race Massacre of 1919.” “Just like these documents appeared out of nowhere, who knows what will pop up?” Mitchell said. “That is why it is so important for us to look at journals, letters, and other historical documents that can tell us more about the Elaine Massacre.” Alley was thrilled that the find will contribute to the growing body of knowledge surrounding the Elaine Massacre, but gives credit to the collectors of knowledge who came before him on the library and museum boards. “The Women’s Library Association members were fiends when collecting history,” he laughed. “They took each and every opportunity they could to get something added to the museum. It doesn’t surprise me one bit that it ended up in the collection. I half expect to find the skull of Jimmy Hoffa hiding upstairs in the next year.”��

Grant will support purchase of Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail markers to honor Elaine 12

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 13:49:51 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Anderson Institute on Race and Ethnicity received a $4,000 grant from Second Presbyterian Church of Little Rock’s Social Justice Advocacy Committee toward the purchase of markers for the 2019 Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail.�� This year’s event will honor the Elaine 12, a group of black sharecroppers who were convicted of murder and sentenced to death by all-white juries in the wave of quick, unjust criminal prosecutions of black people that followed the Elaine Massacre of 1919. The convictions of six of the Elaine 12 were overturned in the landmark Supreme Court ruling, Moore vs. Dempsey, in 1923. Following their release from prison, most members of the Elaine 12 fled the state and changed their names. Many of them lived the rest of their lives in exile, fearing for their safety, with their family members never knowing what happened to them. The markers will be unveiled at a ceremony in the fall as part of a conference at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Elaine Massacre. The Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail was created by the Anderson Institute on Race and Ethnicity in 2011 to acknowledge the sacrifices and achievements made by those who fought for racial and ethnic justice in Arkansas. The trail begins in front of the Old State House Convention Center on Markham Street and will eventually extend to the William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park. Each honoree’s name is commemorated with a 12-inch bronze marker on the trail and a biography on the trail’s website. New markers are added to the trail each year in a public ceremony that also recognizes civil rights activities of the past and those who work for racial equality today. The ceremonies have honored sit-ins and freedom rides, the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School, the desegregation of downtown Little Rock, the efforts of professionals in the areas of medicine and healthcare, politics and law, and economic advancement, as well as Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller. Last year, the Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail was named a part of the.

Next Evenings with History lecture to explore new research in Elaine Massacre

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 14:38:28 +0000

The first Evenings with History lecture series discussion of the new year will cover new research discovered about the Elaine Massacre.�� Dr. Brian Mitchell, professor of history at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, will present “When The Depths Don’t Give Up Their Dead: Exploring New Primary Sources about the Elaine Race Massacre,” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5, at Historic Arkansas Museum, 200 E. Third St. in Little Rock. Refreshments will be served at 7 p.m. The Elaine Massacre is remembered as one of the deadliest racial conflicts in the country. In September 1919, representatives of the Progressive Farmers and Household Union of America met with approximately 100 African-American farmers at a church to discuss unionizing. When a group of white men interrupted the meeting, two white men were shot. The sheriff organized a posse. A mob of an estimated 500 to 1,000 white people stormed through Phillips County, killing black men, women, and children on sight. This talk examines newly discovered primary sources and discusses how these new sources are reshaping the existing narrative. “What is known as the Elaine Massacre began on Sept. 30, 1919, and continued until the��arrival of federal troops in Phillips County on Oct. 2. In those days several hundred African��Americans were murdered,” Mitchell said. “Subsequent trials of black workers saw the conviction of many others on charges from murder to night riding.” The, sponsored by the University History Institute, features presentations by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty members sharing their current research. Admission to the series is by subscription to the, although visitors to individual talks are welcome to attend for free. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students may attend free of charge. For more information, contact Dr. Jess Porter, chair of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of History, at jcporter@ualr.edu or 501-569-3236.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock