jim crow – Melanoid Nation Foundation

McComb, Mississippi Was The “Bomb Capital of the World” In 1964

Melanoid Nation — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 19:02:56 +0000

Towards the end of freedom summer 1964, three civil rights workers were dug up from an earthen dam at depth from 14 feet on August 4, 1964 in Neshoba County, Mississippi. Their names were James Chaney, Michael Schwerner, and Andrew Goodman. At the same time, many Black communities, across the state were experiencing the wrath of hatred from white racists who induced terrorism to maintain racial apartheid in Mississippi.

McComb, MS is a small town located about 80 miles outside of Jackson, MS, the state’s capital. McComb, Mississippi was deemed the “Bomb Capital of the world in 1964.” From June through September of 1964, the Black community experienced over a dozen bombings and a numerous number of violent acts during that summer. Any Blacks that were involved with the civil rights movement, voter registration, or providing any assistance to the movement were targeted. White business owners used economic punishment against Blacks who worked for them. The COFO (Council of Federated Organizations) headquarters on 702 Wall St. was bombed on July 8th. Two teenage Black students at a freedom school–who had been receiving harassing phone calls were arrested for using profanity over the phone–tried without counsel and sentenced one year each to jail under the “Mississippi Phone Harassment Law “.

Black churches were burned down in the area, and the sounds of explosions were so frequent that McComb residents couldn’t sleep, and most Blacks didn’t go to sleep until early morning hours. Local authorities and the federal government provided no protection from the violence. In most cases, local law were involved with the terror. They normally showed up after the bombings to intimidate victims and remove any evidence from the explosion site.

The bombing of Mrs. Aleyne Quinn’s home sparked a Black uprising in McComb on September 20, 1964. Being that this was after the 13^th bombing, Blacks were fed up at this point. They had accepted the fact that there wouldn’t be any protection for exercising their constitutional rights from local and federal authorities. Mrs. Quinn, also known as “Mama Quinn“, was a freedom fighter, entrepreneur, and a respected figure in the community. Fourteen sticks of dynamite exploded, just beneath of where her two young children slept. Luckily, there were only minor injuries. The local authorities arrested Mrs. Quinn for blowing up her own home. Another church was bombed the same night, marking the fourteenth bombing.

Blacks took to the streets with rage, moltov cocktails, rifles, and shotguns. Police cars were burned. State police were dispatched to the area. White citizens were shot at by snipers. The local white community was met with extreme resistance. A small riot ensued. Although there were causalities on both sides, whites feared for their life and retreated. Realizing that this had boiled over, the local authorities reached out to the federal government for assistance. Mike Wallace, an American journalist, broadcasted on the air that there was a “Negro riot” in McComb ,Mississippi. Two days later, Mrs. Quinn and three other freedom fighters traveled to the nation’s capital , and met with President Lyndon B. Johnson. The next week, three white men were brought up on charges for carrying out some of the racial bombings.

When we think of bombings, we think of instances like the bombing that occurred at the 2013 Boston Marathon, and how horrific that was. Imagine the pain these residents endured during that summer of 1964.

Below is information pulled from Historical Manuscripts. This is witness account from Freedom Fighters, who were working in McComb that summer. This is a written note from Sept 20, 1964.

Society Hill Baptist Church, bombed on 9/20/64.

The first bomb comes at 10:50. Most of the Negros of McComb are in bed, but only some are sleeping.These days, most Adult Negroes in McComb don’t fall asleep until the wee hours of the morning. Then the blast–that sickening, anguishing sound that has been heard twelve previous times over the last three months–that sound that Negros in McComb have come to know so well. Everyone in McComb hears the sound of the blast. McComb is a small town and very very quiet. At night, the sound of the blast can be heard for miles. And so tonight, the blast is heard for the 13^th and shortly later for the 14^th time . Tonight, the sound is even more anguishing. The pain grows worse with each bombing. Every negro in McComb instantly knows what that sound means…And then the moments of torment—who’s house, who is dead ? Its not mine. Then who? My neighbor? My friend –my mother ,my brother, my son, or maybe COFO again. Who? And one’s stomach aches with pain, and the pain seeps up into the chest and the head, and comes out of every paw. Who? Is someone dead? The fear and the suspense grows . The anguish becomes unbearable. People grab whatever clothing they can find and run out into the streets.

by Reginald Mazique

While We Are Discussing Cosby,Can We Also Talk About All The Black Women Raped By White Men?

Melanoid Nation — Wed, 15 Jul 2015 21:03:54 +0000

Many people in the dominant society including several media outlets are using Bill Cosby an example for rape and injustice. Many of the Bill Cosby rape accusers,who are mostly white women, have made accusations that allegedly occurred over 30 and 40 years ago. Since we’re talking about decades-old rape cases and using Bill Cosby as the poster child for these accusations, let’s talk about all of the accusations of rape from decades ago that did not receive justice.

Let’s talk about the long history in this country of Black women being brutally raped by a white males in this country and justice never being served. There are several news articles that describe Black women up until the 1960s being brutally gang raped by white males on a regular basis. Many black women who worked as domestics were often sexually assaulted by the white males they work for.

Civil rights icons like Rosa Parks wrote that she was almost raped by a white male neighbor. From what we know that neighbor was never brought to justice. A common narrative from the dominant white society for years in this country has been sexual assault on a Black woman is not really considered rape. Because of the Jezebel stereotype created by the white supremacist against Black women, sexual assault has always been viewed as justified if the victim is a Black woman.

There was also the infamous case of Ruby McCollum who was a wealthy married African-American woman in Florida known for killing a prominent caucasian doctor in 1952 who had been elected to the state senate; she testified during her trial that he had forced her to have sex and bear his child.

Many white males who were accused of raping Black women even admitted to the rapes in court,but they were often still set free and left unpunished for their crimes.

Some of these Black women victims who were raped during the so-called Jim Crow era are still alive to this day. Like Mrs. Recy Taylor out of Alabama. Mrs. Taylor is in her 90’s now, and she was brutally gang raped by 6 white men in the 1940s. Two all white juries dismissed the case and allow her rapists to go free.

A few years ago the state of Alabama apologized to Mrs. Taylor for the miscarriage of justice. There was an apology but no financial compensation. And ultimately this is what many of the Bill Cosby accusers are looking for. Financial compensation. So if we’re going to talk about financial compensation for rape victims in cases that happened decades ago,then there should be a long line of Black women who have been victims of white male rapists lining up for justice.

The Real Story Behind the Race Card

Melanoid Nation — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 18:16:54 +0000

By: Andrae Ivy

We’ve all heard about the notorious race card. When Blacks mention race as a determinant for being wronged, mistreated or undermined in this country, they’re often met with resistance. Many in the mainstream claim that Blacks are just playing the race card, refusing to be accountable for their own actions. But who’s right and who’s wrong in this scenario? Are Blacks too quick to play the race card, or do Whites create this argument to relinquish themselves from fault? Let’s examine this debate more closely.

When researching the concept of race in this country, many different theories and dates appear. Some scholars in the 17^th century used race to classify people with different physical traits, while other researchers denote race as simply a social construct. Even though researchers seem unresolved about this issue, it is clear. Blacks in this country, because of their difference to Whites, were highly mistreated and tortured through slavery, Jim Crow laws and by organized groups like the KKK. Laws and policies were also enacted that excluded and alienated Blacks because of their difference to Whites.

Many Whites profited financially from the concept of race, while Blacks suffered the consequences of this social construct, both economically and culturally. Whites consistently used the race card to disenfranchise Blacks and other groups using the media, job market, health care systems and court systems. From the Tuskegee Experiment to the destruction of Black Wall Street to the lynchings of thousands of Blacks, the race card tormented Blacks. This is where the concept of white guilt enters the picture. These discussions of injustices unnerve many Whites. It makes them feel bad. However it’s highly improbable that Whites feel worse than Blacks about this topic.

Considering the history of Blacks in this country, it’s logical that Blacks use the race card in many cases. When unarmed Black kids are killed disproportionately in the streets by public authorities, it’s reasonable to understand the race play. When Black men are stopped and frisked by police at higher rates than Whites, it’s reasonable to understand the race play. When Black men are least likely to get hired for jobs they qualify for, it’s reasonable to understand the race play. When Black girls go missing without media attention or concern, it’s reasonable to understand the race play. Of course, every claim of racism may not be valid. But it’s reasonable to understand the stimulus behind racism claims in this country.

The race card was played against Blacks for centuries, and nothing was really done about it. No benefits were ever truly offered to Blacks to compensate them for their losses. These racial truths created tons of distrust between Blacks and Whites in this country, so the race card will always be around. It’s not going anywhere and neither are the historical markers that are attached to it. One can only hope that, one day, the race card won’t be used to oppress any groups. However it seems unlikely that a day like that will ever arrive.