In August 1917, members of the all black Twenty-Fourth infantry stationed at Camp Logan armed themselves and marched toward the city of Houston. Students of history know how the story ended: court-martials, executions and dishonorable discharges. However, little attention is given to how the story began.
Texas was, and still is, a southern state. That means the vestiges of slavery and white-supremacy driven race relations are always simmering beneath the surface. In the first decades of the twentieth century Jim Crow ruled the state. Many assigned to the segregated Twenty-Fourth infantry were not from the racist South and refused to accept the premise that blacks were less than whites. When news reached their camp that the local police had committed another outrage against a local black female, and then one of their own, enough was enough.
Interestingly, in 1917 it was well known that many members of southern police forces were white supremacists. Those sworn to “protect and serve” often applied different interpretations of the law, depending on which community they were in. This is not an indictment against all police officers, but history indicates that in 1917 membership in the Ku Klux Klan reached record levels and influences in this and many other states throughout the country.
Nonetheless, that was 100 years ago and surely the influences of racists have been reduced. After all, it’s been almost fifty years since we put a man on the moon, computers are commonplace in our society, and there was once a black U.S. President! Wow. Times have changed. We must surely be in a “post racial” society.
Not so fast Pilgrim. While the overt examples of racism are no longer obvious, the subtle microaggressions are still tangible. I don’t want to be a bore and list an inventory of phrases and behaviors indicating that our society has yet to completely bridge the vast racial divide that has existed since 1619.
Still, the relationship between the police and the black community is reminiscent of what was experienced 100 years ago. As I said, most police officers have integrity and perform their duties regardless of the community they’re assigned to. However, I’d be foolish and naïve to believe there are not a few white supremacists wearing a blue uniform.
Has anyone seen the President’s taxes yet?
Next Time