On May 1, 1866, Memphis was home to a massacre that left dozens of black folks dead and countless others injured. This week in Memphis, the city is remembering thatgrim chapter in its history — a 150-year-old atrocity that shocked the nation and was nearly forgotten.
Stephen V. Ash, a history professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and the author of A Massacre in Memphis: The Race Riot That Shook The Nation One Year After The Civil War, says newspapers of the era labeled what happened in Memphis a "race riot," mostly on the basis that it began as a fight between black Union soldiers and some Irish police officers.
More
The date jumps off the page!
ReplyDeleteThis event was May Day, a date of significance for Freemasonry.
Very interesting.
Dave T: The information is part of history. Why must we now contest everything for the sake of political correctness? Do the words "race riot" now offend you? Give me a break! It's apparently the truth behind what happened. So now are we supposed to erase it? Or reword it to a softer version more pleasing to others? How about trying to learn to cope and deal with reality instead? The world isn't always an easy place to live and tolerate, but it doesn't mean we have to change our heritage and modify our history in order to make it more palatable to modern times and issues. Doing that, to me, is simply wrong. Maybe it would be better if we ALL try to learn from our history so that we can try harder to avoid making the same mistakes in our future? Please remember an old saying that's still popular in modern news rooms: "The only new news is the history we don't know."
ReplyDeleteI am surprised to see them called "Black" most of the signs and books are PC compliant, and changed to the new hyphenated Americans.
ReplyDeleteGood point.
Delete
ReplyDelete12:54
Well put and stated. Agree 100%, thank's for commenting and saving me from sending similar a message.
Dave T: Thank you SBY news for doing the hard work and for everything you do to keep us informed. You are doing a great job, and it's a wonderful thing to be able to come here and catch up on things. The blog is to the point, succinct and always seems to offer an interesting variety of material to suit many readers. I thoroughly enjoy reading your stories regularly. Thank you :)
ReplyDelete