It wasn’t right. After WWI, cotton prices soared - and Elaine, Arkansas’ Black sharecroppers weren’t seeing any profits for their labor. They wanted FAIR wages, and joining a union seemed like a smart move.
But on September 30, 1919, as they gathered to get organized, angry white men would savagely intervene.
After discovering the meeting, the crew of white men shot into the church where they met. In self-defense, the Black guards shot back, killing one of the assailants. And white anger soon turned murderous.
Calls spread throughout the South, claiming a Black “insurrection” was underway and white men had been attacked unprovoked.
The county sheriff even handed out shotguns, and soon over 1,000 white men were in Elaine, bloodthirsty and ready to “retaliate.”
But the people of Elaine weren’t going down without a fight.
Despite the overwhelming odds, they fought back with their guns - and lives. In the end, over 200 were dead, and 12 survivors faced the death penalty.
But the fight wasn’t over - they took the case went to the Supreme Court - which exonerated them! But that wouldn’t make up for the hundreds who were killed.
100 years later, a memorial to the victims of the Elaine massacre has been erected in Helena, AR. As we reflect on our people’s progress - and lack thereof - it’s important to remember our fallen ancestors and continue to fight for justice and freedom.