In November 1979, at an anti-Klan rally in Greensboro the Klan showed up -- and then massacred five of the protesters. This led some years ago to a truth and reconciliation commission in Greensboro and now a debate about whether Greensboro should put up a historical marker. Some of the city commissioners spoke against it because they object to the word "massacre" as part of the proposed language. According to the Greensboro News and Record, one council members said, "I think if the wording was changed to ‘shootout’ or ‘shooting’ it would be closer to what actually happened ... The marker can’t tell the whole story but the word ‘massacre’ gives you the wrong idea about what actually happened that day." So maybe there's a compromise on the way to "save history" as the News and Record phrases it. Or, as another council member said, "I just don’t think it’s a positive for Greensboro." That is about the best explanation you can find for why there isn't yet a marker there.
In fact, the city's already done a great job of erasing that history. Some years back when I was visiting Greensboro I went looking for the site of the massacre. It's hard to find because the roads there have been redrawn. What I was able to find is the cemetery marker for those killed, which is in a cemetery a few blocks away.
Of course I believe that a historical marker is more than in order. This is going to a vote on February 3. For those of you thinking of attending, the Greensboro City Council agenda for February 3 is here. And here is an article that puts the debate into more context. The North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources has promulgated extensive guidelines regarding placement of new historical markers, which are available here.
Update: the city council voted 7-2 to approve the marker.
H/t Eric Fink.
If I am not mistaken, the protestors were unarmed that day...so how was it not a massacre?
Posted by: Franita | January 23, 2015 at 09:18 AM
I could be wrong (and going back and watching the news footage, it appears I may be) but my recollection is that a couple of the CWP marchers were armed with handguns because there had been threats made and they (legitimately) feared a violent confrontation. The Klansmen and Nazis, however, were much more heavily armed (semiautomatic rifles, shotguns, handguns) and the marchers way outgunned. They did, however, take cover and return fire (although it is very hard to tell that from the footage) -- so perhaps I am primarily remembering the official line from back in the day. However, there has never been a [real] question that the Klan/Nazis simply attacked the marchers and opened fire. Footage is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yChR9K8DG8
I grew up in Greensboro -- I was almost 7 at the time of the shootout -- and, in Greensboro back in the day, it was always referred to as the "Nazi-Klan Shootout" (not sure why the CWP was left out of this colloquial name). Going
I remember as a child that every trash day during the protracted litigation that followed there would be Klansmen or Nazis or CWP members going through the trash of the various local attorneys involved (most of whom were strong-armed into working on the case by Judge Robert Merhige (E.D.Va) who sat by designation after all the MDNC judges recused themselves) looking for ... something. I grew up with the kids of many of those lawyers. It was a strange time and we had little understanding of what was really going on.
I wholeheartedly agree that a historical marker is more than appropriate -- although perhaps one a little less propaganda-y than the one pictured. It is a dark chapter in Greensboro's history, but a significant one. As one of my UNC professors put in when I was in college (Prof. Jim Leloudis I think), Greensboro was always a "progressive paradox" when it came to civil rights and the like -- put on a progressive face, but acted the opposite. I think things have changed and the progressive slant in GSO is legit now. This would be an easy way to prove it.
Posted by: Brian Clarke | January 23, 2015 at 11:15 AM
Just in case anyone (i.e. Al!) is interested, I co-authored a *long* piece on those killings over 30 years ago, based in significant part on a good amount of time spent with informant Ed Dawson:
http://www.davidgarrow.com/File/DJG%201983Nov3rd.pdf
Posted by: Dave Garrow | January 23, 2015 at 01:03 PM