This graphic presents a stark overview of massacres targeting Black communities in the United States, spanning over a century and a half. These events, often rooted in racial hatred, economic competition, and the suppression of Black advancement, led to immense loss of life, destruction of property, and enduring trauma. Understanding these moments is crucial for comprehending the full scope of American history.
Below, each massacre listed in the graphic is detailed with a short description and linked to primary or highly reliable secondary sources for further research.
19th Century: Reconstruction and the Rise of White Supremacy
New York (1863): Known as the Draft Riots, white working-class residents, angered by conscription during the Civil War, targeted Black citizens and their property, leading to mob violence, lynchings, and the burning of homes and an orphanage.
Memphis (1866): Following the Civil War, white mobs, including police and ex-Confederate soldiers, attacked Black veterans and residents, resulting in numerous deaths, rapes, and the destruction of Black-owned property and churches.
New Orleans (1866): A peaceful march by Black Union veterans and Radical Republicans advocating for Black voting rights was violently suppressed by a white mob, including police and ex-Confederates, leading to widespread killings and injuries.
Camilla, GA (1868): A "political massacre" where armed white Democrats ambushed and attacked a procession of Black Republicans marching to a rally to encourage voter registration, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries.
Opelousas, LA (1868): Amidst the gubernatorial election, white supremacists launched a systematic attack on Black citizens and white Republicans, aiming to suppress the Black vote. Estimates suggest hundreds of Black people were killed.
St. Bernard Parish, LA (1868): In the weeks leading up to the 1868 presidential election, white vigilante groups actively hunted down and murdered Black citizens to intimidate voters and ensure a Democratic victory.
Secondary Source: Wikipedia - St. Bernard Parish massacre
Colfax, LA (1873): One of the bloodiest events of Reconstruction. After a disputed gubernatorial election, white supremacists attacked Black Republican militiamen defending the Colfax courthouse, killing an estimated 60 to 150 Black people.
Vicksburg, MS (1874): White "Redeemers" sought to overthrow the biracial Republican government. When Black citizens rallied to support the elected sheriff, they were met with a heavily armed white militia, leading to the deaths of dozens, possibly hundreds, of Black people.
Eufaula, AL (1874): White Democrats, attempting to regain political control, attacked Black voters and Republican officials at the polls on Election Day, resulting in deaths and widespread intimidation.
Clinton, MS (1875): Violence erupted at a biracial Republican political rally. In the ensuing "riot" and organized campaign of "white terror," dozens of Black citizens were murdered by white militias.
Thibodaux, LA (1887): Striking Black sugar cane workers and their families were attacked by white militias and vigilantes following a labor dispute, resulting in the murder of at least 30 to 50, and possibly hundreds, of striking workers.
Wilmington, NC (1898): This was a violent white supremacist coup d'état where armed mobs overthrew the legitimately elected biracial government, massacred Black citizens, and expelled Black and white political leaders.
20th Century: The Great Migration, Red Summer, and Civil Rights Era
Atlanta (1906): Fueled by sensationalist newspaper reports of alleged Black-on-white crime and a hotly contested gubernatorial race, white mobs launched a four-day attack on Black businesses and residents.
Springfield, IL (1908): Violence erupted after a white woman accused a Black man of assault. A white mob destroyed Black-owned businesses, homes, and lynched Black residents. This event led directly to the formation of the NAACP.
Slocum, TX (1910): A white mob attacked the Black community of Slocum, killing an unknown number of residents and driving others from their homes to seize their land.
East St. Louis (1917): Fueled by racial prejudice, labor competition, and sensationalized news, white mobs attacked and burned Black neighborhoods. Estimates of the dead range from dozens to over 100 Black citizens.
Chicago (1919): Part of the "Red Summer." The drowning of a Black teenager, Eugene Williams, after he drifted into a "white" section of Lake Michigan, sparked days of racial violence across the city.
Washington, D.C. (1919): Also part of the "Red Summer." Rumors of assaults on white women by Black men led white mobs, including off-duty soldiers, to attack Black neighborhoods. Black residents, including veterans, fought back in self-defense.
Elaine, AR (1919): After Black sharecroppers met to organize for better pay, white landowners and militias, supported by federal troops, attacked the Black community. Hundreds of Black people were killed.
Ocoee, FL (1920): On Election Day, a white mob attacked the prosperous Black community of Ocoee after a Black man attempted to vote. Homes were burned, and many Black residents were killed, forcing the survivors to flee permanently.
Tulsa, OK (1921): The "Black Wall Street" massacre. A prosperous Black business district (Greenwood) was destroyed by white mobs who looted, burned buildings, and reportedly used airplanes to drop incendiary devices. Hundreds were killed.
Rosewood, FL (1923): A small, thriving Black town was completely destroyed, and its residents murdered or driven out, following a false accusation made by a white woman against a Black man.
Detroit (1943): Amidst World War II, tensions over housing, employment, and segregation led to three days of racial violence. Most of the 34 fatalities were Black, many killed by police or white mobs.
Philadelphia (1985): The MOVE Bombing. The city dropped an explosive device on a residential row house occupied by the Black liberation group MOVE, leading to a massive fire that killed 11 people (five of them children) and destroyed 61 homes.
21st Century: Contemporary Tragedy
Charleston, SC (2015): A white supremacist entered the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church during a Bible study and murdered nine Black congregants, aiming to ignite a race war.
A Legacy of Injustice: These massacres are not merely historical footnotes; they represent systemic failures and deliberate acts of racial violence that have profoundly shaped the American experience. Acknowledging and studying these events is crucial for understanding ongoing struggles for racial justice and equality.
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