“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”
-Desmond Tutu
The late 1800’s early 1900’s was a turbulent time in the United States of America. With race relations at an all-time high and the Jim Crow laws in full effect, there was bound to be more violence and protest, because America was not yet equal and still had a tough road ahead in the name of progress. The week of Sept. 24-26 was especially dark all over the country, but nowhere more intense than in Atlanta, Georgia. These were the days of the Atlanta Race Massacre.
The Atlanta Race Massacre, also known as the Atlanta Race Riot, is a dark event in American history. On Sept. 22 an Atlanta newspaper falsely reported four assaults on white women. These false reports gained traction and soon after thousands of white men and boys gathered in protest. Before nightfall the crowd of protestors turned into a mob in a scene that I am sure seemed straight out of a horror film as they marched through the business district attacking African Americans and their businesses, this lasted until 2 a.m. where the local militia and heavy rain finally broke up this nightmare. However, the nightmare did not end that night. When what seemed like a race war would break out, police guarded white property in case of retaliation, while the African American population gathered weapons in secret in case the violence would continue another night.
On the 24th, a meeting was held in Brownsville, just south of downtown Atlanta, where African Americans discussed what to do next. This meeting was broken up by Fulton County police where a shootout ensued, resulting in an officer being killed and more than 250 African American men arrested.
The aftermath of the Atlanta Race Riots caused more separation due to fear of retaliation and a depression of Atlanta’s African American economy and community.
So, What:
Desmond Tutu’s quote speaks to me personally because although this happened 119 years ago seeds of oppression will forever linger. Knowing the history, not only of our beautifully flawed country but of the imperfection of humanity, is important so that we never stand idly by in the eyes of oppression and do our best not to live passively. Sept. 21-27 is a week in history that paints a picture of what people living in oppression must endure and show the perseverance people can have and the change they can make by living actively in spite of their oppressors.
