- 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.��

Elaine Massacre victim to posthumously receive Purple Heart Nov. 16 ��for WWI service

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 17:06:38 +0000

Research by University of Arkansas at Little Rock Professor Dr. Brian Mitchell was instrumental to the awarding of a posthumous Purple Heart to a black veteran from Pine Bluff. The family of the late Pvt. Leroy Johnston, one of four brothers who was tragically killed during the 1919 Elaine Massacre, will accept the Purple Heart��during a ceremony on Friday, Nov. 16. Johnston��is being honored for severe wounds he sustained while serving in World War I.�� Hosted by the Delta Cultural Center in Helena-West Helena, the honors will take place at Beth El Heritage Hall, 406 Perry St., at 1 p.m. A reception will immediately follow the ceremony. Local, state, and federal elected officials are expected to attend. The public is also invited to come and pay tribute to this Delta-born war hero. Family members will accept the Purple Heart on behalf of Pvt. Leroy Johnston, a native of Pine Bluff who enlisted in the military at 23 while living in New York City. In addition to the Purple Heart, Johnston will also receive the WWI Victory Medal with France’s Service Clasp and Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, and Meuse-Argonne Battle Clasps, and the WWI Victory Button. Johnston served in Company M, 3rd Battalion, 369th Infantry, a highly decorated regiment also known as the “Harlem Hellfighters.” The “Harlem Hellfighters’’ military band, in which Johnston was a bugler, became quite famous for introducing jazz to Europe.

Dr. Brian Mitchell

As was often the case for black soldiers during that time, Johnston’s service records were intentionally altered after he sustained combat injuries. This deception was uncovered by Dr. Mitchell, a professor of history at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “Leroy was wounded twice while serving in World War I,” Mitchell explained. “His records were altered from ‘severely’ wounded to ‘slightly’ wounded. This alteration prevented him from receiving any awards for being wounded in action.” Nevertheless, Johnston was honorably discharged from military service on July 5, 1919. Johnston returned to the U.S. making Helena his new home. It was in the fall of that same year, he and his three brothers were killed during the Elaine Massacre, though they had nothing to do with the conflict. That September, the bodies of Johnston and his brothers were found mutilated and dumped on the side of the road. Though Johnston was injured in the war on Sept. 26, 1918, it wasn’t until Mitchell’s in-depth investigation into the Elaine Massacre that he uncovered this tragic aspect of Johnston’s military life. Determined to right this injustice, Mitchell submitted the information to the U.S. Department of the Army requesting that Johnston be awarded the appropriate medals for his WWI service. Mitchell then contacted U.S. Rep. French Hill’s office in Little Rock for assistance. Rep. Hill and his staff members, especially Thomas McNabb, Hill’s director of military affairs, were instrumental in ensuring that Johnston finally receive his long overdue medals. For more information about the ceremony, contact Dr. Kyle Miller, director of the Delta Cultural Center, at 870-338-4350 or kyle.miller@arkansas.gov. The shares the vision of all eight agencies within the Department of Arkansas Heritage—to preserve and promote Arkansas Heritage as a source of pride and satisfaction. The other divisions of the department are the Historic Arkansas Museum, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, the Old State House Museum, the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, the Arkansas Arts Council, the Natural Heritage Commission and the Arkansas State Archives. In the upper right photos,��Leroy Johnston (right) is shown with two of his brothers, Drs. D.A.E. (left) and L.H. (center) Johnston. Submitted photo.

Elaine Massacre victim to posthumously receive medals for service in World War I

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 20:19:55 +0000

A black World War I veteran and victim of the 1919 Elaine Massacre will posthumously be honored with the Purple Heart and other World War I honors that he was denied a century ago.�� For Dr. Brian Mitchell, a professor of history at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, helping Leroy Johnston receive his medals is about righting a wrong a century in the making. Mitchell has found that Johnston’s medical records were altered, which prevented him from receiving the military honors he deserved. “Leroy was wounded twice while serving in World War I,” Mitchell said. “His wounds required a long time of convalescence. His records were intentionally altered from ‘severely’ wounded to ‘slightly’ wounded. This impeded him from receiving any awards for being wounded in action. I thought this was a tragedy.” Mitchell uncovered this tragic aspect of Johnston’s life while investigating the in preparation for its centennial commemoration in 2019.

Dr. Brian Mitchell

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, comprised largely of white veterans, who like Johnston, had recently returned from the war. A mob of an estimated 500 to 1,000 white people stormed through Phillips County, killing black men, women, and children on sight. Johnston and his three older brothers were killed during the Elaine Massacre. Determined to right this injustice, Mitchell gathered records that substantiated Johnston’s military service and injuries. He submitted the information to the U.S. Department of the Army over the summer to request that Johnston be awarded medals for his service during World War I.�� Mitchell then contacted for assistance. Mitchell thanked Hill and his staff members, especially Thomas McNabb, Hill’s director of military affairs, for their help, which was instrumental in ensuring that Johnston finally received his long overdue medals. “We are proud to honor Private Johnston, who died defending our freedoms, by helping to secure four medals he rightfully deserved for his valiant acts of bravery during World War I,” Hill said. “I have a great veterans team of three on my staff who work hard to ensure our veterans, alive and no longer with us, receive full recognition for their service. Tom did a phenomenal job ensuring Private Johnston’s legacy lives on forever.” “I want to thank Dr. Mitchell for bringing this to our attention,” McNabb said. “It was a privilege to be a part of honoring Private Johnston’s service to our great nation. This is why I do what I do every day to help our Arkansas veterans.” A ceremony is being planned to present the awards to Johnston’s relatives. Johnston will receive the Purple Heart with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster for wounds received in action on Sept. 26, 1918, in France. He also will receive the World War I Victory Medal with France Service Clasp and Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, and Meuse-Argonne Battle Clasps, and the World War I Victory Button. Kyle Miller, a great-nephew of Leroy’s brother, Dr. D.A.E. Johnston, who was also a victim of the Elaine Massacre, said his family is very grateful that Leroy will finally receive his medals. “I feel like justice is taking place. When you look at the original document, Leroy’s release paper, it’s obvious that he was qualified for a Purple Heart, but the document was then altered to disqualify him,” Miller said. “A wrong has now been righted. Dr. Mitchell encouraged me to work with Veterans Affairs and inquire about Purple Heart status for my great uncle. I went as far as I could go in the process, but I hit a roadblock. There were some things that I couldn’t verify. Brian kept pushing until he got a breakthrough. I am so glad that he did! I am also extremely grateful to Rep. French Hill and his staff for all of their help. Our family is indebted to Dr. Mitchell. We are all ecstatic!”

In Leroy Johnston’s discharge record, the word “slightly” has been stamped over “severely” in the ‘Wounded in action’ section.

The Road to Elaine

Johnston was a private in the U.S. Army. At 23, he joined on Nov. 9, 1917, in New York City. He served in Company M, 3rd Battalion, 369th Infantry, which was also known as the Harlem Hellfighters. Johnston went overseas in December 1917 and was honorably discharged on July 5, 1919. He was wounded and gassed in the Battle of Chateau-Thierry. He also served as a bugler. The Harlem Hellfighters military band became quite famous for introducing jazz to Europe. The Johnstons were a prominent black family in Jefferson County. Their father, Rev. Lewis Johnston Jr., was the first ordained black minister of the Covenanter Church, and their mother, Mercy, was a former school teacher. Of Leroy’s three older brothers, Dr. D.A.E. Johnston was a successful dentist and inventor in Helena; Dr. Louis Johnston was a physician in Oklahoma; and Gibson Johnston owned a car dealership in Helena, where Leroy worked after his return from war. The four brothers had been out squirrel hunting when tragedy struck.

Leroy Johnston’s Purple Heart certificate

“What’s sad is that they had nothing to do with the riot. If they had just stayed in the woods for another day, maybe they could have evaded the calamity that pursues,” Mitchell said. “They hop on the train to Helena, and the train is stopped by one of the posses. The posse puts them in the back of a car handcuffed and takes them away. The narrative is that the brothers were all in the car of a well-known politician and business owner. They maintain that one of the brothers grabbed a gun and shot and killed the driver, and then the posse killed the brothers in retaliation. The brothers’ bodies were dumped on the side of the road, and they were supposedly horribly mutilated as well.” The mother of the Johnston brothers encountered yet another miscarriage of justice when she retrieved their bodies. “According to her story, the mother had to pay a bounty on the bodies before the coroner would ship them out,” Mitchell said. “She had them sent to Pine Bluff, where their father had taught and been buried. She wanted her sons buried near their father. All of the boys were buried in the same grave because their mother wanted them to be as close in death as they were in life.” Mitchell is also part of an effort to locate the brothers’ grave. Many of the burial records for Jefferson County were lost in a fire during the 1970s, which has made finding the site of the Johnston brothers’ grave difficult. Mitchell said he believes he has located the cemetery where the brothers are buried and hopes that a grave marker can be placed on their gravesite before the centennial of the Elaine Massacre in 2019.

An old newspaper article shows the Johnston brothers who were killed in the Elaine Massacre in 1919.

The bodies of the black victims of the Elaine Massacre have never been found and are believed to have been buried in a mass grave. The grave’s location remains unknown. If the Johnston brothers’ grave is found, it would be significant as the only known grave of a black victim of the Elaine Massacre, Mitchell said. Miller is thankful for Mitchell’s efforts, which is helping to bring some closure to this dark part of Miller’s family history. “As a family we grew up hearing about the Elaine Massacre, and we read Grif Stockley’s book (“Blood in Their Eyes: The Elaine Race Massacres of 1919”). It just brought up more questions. We had heard the story for years that the brothers had been buried in Pine Bluff. When Dr. Mitchell started doing his research, he narrowed the burial down to one or two cemeteries in Pine Bluff. This has brought a sense of ��closure because his research confirmed that these family oral histories were accurate.” The Elaine Massacre is something that many people didn’t discuss and would rather leave in the past, Miller said, but he is glad that historians are opening up discussions. “I’m really glad that these discussions are being held,” Miller said. “It used to be called the Elaine Riot, like it was blacks against whites. In reality, it was only a few white people who were shot, while the blacks were running for their lives in terror. Now there is the foundation to commemorate the Elaine Massacre. The fundamental terminology has been changed. A riot assumes two groups were fighting against each other. That’s not what happened at all. It should be classified as a massacre.” In the upper right photo,��Leroy Johnston (right) is shown with two of his brothers, Drs. D.A.E. (left) and L.H. (center) Johnston.��

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

Elaine 12 inducted into Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail

Elaine Massacre victim to posthumously receive Purple Heart Nov. 16 ��for WWI service

Elaine Massacre victim to posthumously receive medals for service in World War I

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