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

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.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock professor, students discover locations of missing Elaine 12 graves

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 08 Nov 2018 18:00:07 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock history professor and his graduate students are making headway into a mystery 99 years in the making.�� Dr. Brian Mitchell and his graduate students in the Intro to Public History Class have followed a trail of clues through cemeteries, public records, and databases as part of their search to discover what happened to a dozen black men wrongfully sentenced to death in a time of great racial turmoil in the aftermath of the 1919 Elaine Massacre.�� “The goal of the project was to run biographies and locate the graves of all members of the Elaine 12,” Mitchell said. “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. None of their burial locations were known. The first facet was to do research on the lives of the 12, identifying who they were, milestones in their lives, and ultimately how they died and where they were buried.” With the centennial anniversary of the Elaine Massacre quickly coming up next year, Mitchell has devoted much of his recent research to uncovering the mysteries of one of the deadliest race riots in U.S. history.��Graduate students working on the project include Kathryn Bryles, Jessica Chavez, Kary Goetz, Andrew Mcclain, Jessica Parker, Alex Soulard, and Kathryn Thompson. The Elaine 12 were a group of black sharecroppers who received some of the harshest sentences from all-white juries in the wave of quick, unjust criminal prosecutions of black people that followed the Elaine Massacre. The men were convicted of murder and sentenced to death. “The Elaine 12 were sharecroppers who were being cheated,” Mitchell said. “They were meeting secretly in hopes of raising enough money to sue the plantation owners. Many of these sharecroppers were returning World War I veterans who believed they had the rights of other American citizens. When the plantation owners got wind of the notion they were going to be sued, they decided to intimidate the members of the union who were meeting secretly.”

Dr. Brian Mitchell

This led to the events of the Elaine Massacre. In September 1919, representatives of the Progressive Farmers and Household Union of America met with approximately 100 black ��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. The convictions of the Elaine 12 were overturned in the landmark ruling, Moore vs. Dempsey, by the Supreme Court in 1923. “The NAACP heard about the case and hired a team of attorneys,” Mitchell said. “The case represents one of the first major victories that the NAACP would have in the Supreme Court.” One of the key pieces of evidence, according to Mitchell, was the testimony of white men who participated in the Elaine Massacre. “There was testimony that the men (Elaine 12) were beaten, and the mob outside had greatly influenced the court,” Mitchell said. “Either you give them the death sentence, or we will drag them outside and kill them. All of this insured the Elaine 12 could not have had a fair trial.” 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. “We weren’t able to locate the graves for all of the Elaine 12,” Mitchell said. “We believe the missing ones may have used fake names for the remainder of their lives. We know Robert Hill used the name Robert Smith for a long portion of his life. On two occasions, there were attempts to abduct him because Arkansas placed a bounty on him. We believe many of these people believed their lives were still in peril after being released from jail. Very few of them stayed in Arkansas. Most of them fled.” Through their diligent research, Mitchell and his students have discovered the location of six graves of the Elaine 12. Graves were found in Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, and Ohio.��Only two of the six graves are located within the state of Arkansas. Frank Moore, a World War I veteran, is buried in the National Cemetery in Little Rock. Joseph Knox also is buried in Arkansas at the Haven of Rest Cemetery in Little Rock. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduates Laura Fuentes Whitehead and Deanna Holdcraft, officers in the Arkansas Archeological Society’s Central Arkansas Chapter, assisted with the project by spearheading the ground research in cemeteries with students and helped with professional outreach and online data entry for grave information. They also served as subject matter experts in regard to the area’s cemeteries.

Frank Moore’s grave is located in the National Cemetery in Little Rock.

Mitchell also is raising money through a foundation, Finding the Elaine 12, to place markers on the graves of the Elaine 12 and historical markers in the cemeteries where they are buried. The foundation has already raised more than $8,000. Donations 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 and his students are creating comprehensive biographical profiles on all members of the Elaine 12, which they will submit to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas for publication. Through a partnership with the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Theatre Arts and Dance, theatre students will use the profiles to create vignettes of the Elaine 12 that will be used in a play during the 2019 centennial commemoration of the Elaine Massacre. In the upper right photo,��Dr. Brian Mitchell and his graduate students meet with historians and family members to learn more about the Elaine Massacre for their research project on the Elaine 12 for their Intro to Public History class. Front row (L to R) includes Robert Whitaker, author of “On the Laps of Gods,” Grif Stockley, author of “Blood in their Eyes,” Shelia Walker, family member of Albert and Milligan Giles, sharecroppers arrested during the Elaine Massacre, and graduate students Jessica Chavez and Alex Soulard. Back row (L to R) includes Dr. Jessica Parker, Dr. Brian Mitchell, and graduate students Kathryn Thompson, Andrew Mcclain, and Kathryn Bryles.

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

Elaine 12 inducted into Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail

Civil Rights Heritage Trail Induction Ceremony to Honor Elaine 12

����Vlog��ý Little Rock professor, students discover locations of missing Elaine 12 graves

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

��Vlog��ý Little Rock professor, students discover locations of missing Elaine 12 graves