So, if you have been reading Hill1News, you know one of my favorite topics is the antebellum South and the Civil War. I take particular delight in detailing how General Tecumseh Sherman burned that symbol of Confederate southern slavery down to the “cuss wording” ground in his famous march to the sea.
Now Atlanta wasn’t always the epitome of Southern slavery. Indeed, before the railroads came, it was just your average Level 3 Racist Town.
So, when I say your average Level 3 Racist Town… to give you an idea of what I mean, a Level 1 Racist Town requires every enslaved person in town to have their mind right… anyone who doesn’t have their mind right… will get it removed. Whereas in a Level 3 Racist Town, if your mind ain’t right, they usually try to put it on you a few times to see if you just didn’t get it… or to see if you are just being contrary. If you are just being contrary, then they sell you to someone in a Level 2 Racist Town. Level 2 Racist Towns are experts in Nigras that want to be contrary…
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L2RT: So, you say you have to dig that well with a tin cup on account of yo’ sore back… huh…? And it’s going to take you a couple weeks to finish it….
Blackman: Probably more boss… the handle broke off the cup…
L2RT: Oh, and the handle broke off the cup too… huh… okay…
Two months later…
Blackman: I’ve finished digging the well “Boss…” Now what!??
L2RT: Did you dig a righthanded well or a lefthanded well?
Blackman: Wait… what?
L2RT: Boy that’s a righthanded well… I told you I wanted a lefthanded well! Cover that one up and dig another one!
Two months later…
Blackman: Okay boss!! I’ve finished…
L2RT: That’s a mighty fine well you’ve dug with that cup boy… Only thing is I told you to put it over there! Cover that one up and put it over there…
Blackman: Boss please!!
L2RT: Boy don’t back sass me… Cover that up and move it over there!!!
Two months later:
Blackman: Okay boss suh!! I’ve covered that old well up and dug a lefthanded well where you told me to put it…
L2RT: A WELL!!? Boy I told you to build me a chicken coop!! Cover that damn hole up and build me a chicken coop!!
Blackman: OH MY GAWD!!!
L2RT: Do you think you got yo’ mind right now?
Blackman: Yes, suh massa !!! I swear to gawd I got my mind right now!!!
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So, anyone that has seen Cool Hand Luke, will recognize this as an adaptation of a scene from the movie. Of course, if you saw the movie, you know Luke was eventually sent to the proverbial Level 1 Racist Town and the movie ended with his azz whipping and “Good ole Luke…he’s in a better place now…”
Naw Man…
Anyway, after Atlanta was burned to the ground and with the rest of the confederate states getting a similar treatment, the Civil War finally ended in April of 1865. The next steps to be taken would be the “reconstruction” of the Confederacy. As a refresher, the Reconstruction was more or less the rebuilding of the South both morally and materially after the North whipped that azz and made them cry. I’m writing that assessment as a member of the winning side so I can put it more bluntly than they did back then. Back then it was more like “Y’all made a mistake and as long as y’all promise not to do it again, than we alright…” I’m not overstating the promise part. The “promise or oath” was proposed by what were called Radical Republicans. They wanted all confederates, and confederate sympathizers to swear an oath that they would never raise arms against the federal government again. It was the best they could do. For real, for real, the Radical Republicans wanted necks stretched, military tribunals, and firing squads on every corner in the South. Their motto was, “Naw Man…” The same oath also prohibited confederates from running for federal, state or local government offices. Yep, that was all they had to do… take an oath…
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Chairman: Gentlemen, welcome to the Reunification Hearing. Please be seated… Mr. Radical, you have the floor…
Radical: Gentlemen, do you see this pistol and rope in my hand? Make me believe you ain’t gonna faque around again!!! Make me believe that you are sorry for making us come down South… and sorry for making us lose our minds up in there…
Confederate: Suh what can we do? You have burned our cities to the ground and freed our Nigras…
Radical: Oh… so you don’t think we “deserve” an apology? You telling us to kiss yo’ azz right?
Confederate: NO SUH!!
Radical: Sargent Leroy is the squad ready? Have them line up facing the side of the barn…
Confederate: WAIT A MINUTE!! LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING!! LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING!!
Radical: Yes…
Confederate: WE’LL TAKE AN OATH SUH!! WE’LL TAKE AN OATH!!
Radical: And Sargent send a detail to the cemetery and have them start digging… let me see… one… two… eight holes Sargent… have them dig eight holes in the ground… Now you were saying… I’m listening…
Confederate: WE ARE SO SORRY SUH!! WE ARE SO SORRY THAT YOU LOST YO’ MIND UP IN THERE!! WE SWEAR TO GAWD WE AIN’T GONNA FAQUE AROUND AGAIN!!
Radical: I don’t believe you… Sargent you don’t have to dig them holes 6ft down… a foot is ok… just deep enough so that their toes won’t be sticking out…
Confederate: WAIT A MINUTE!! WAIT A MINUTE!! SUH!!! SUH, THE NIGRAS!!!
Radical: What about the Nigras?
Confederate: SUH I’LL TREAT THE NIGRAS JUST LIKE THEY WERE WHITE MEN!! I SWEAR TO GAWD!!!
Radical: You’ll say anything to stop us from giving you a dirt bath…
Confederate: I SWEAR TO GAWD…. !!!
Radical: And what about white women? You are not going to mind them walking around with white women…? with yo’ sister… sitting on the porch with yo’ sister drinking and laughing…? bringing their buddies to yo’ house eating up all yo’ fried chicken…. sitting on yo’ couch, smoking in yo’ living room with their feet on yo’ table… telling you to bring them another drink… this time in a clean glass… talking about they wished you had the good stuff… and if they would have known that you had rot gut, they would have got drunk at their own house…? You ain’t gonna mind that?
Confederate: OH MY GAWD!!!
Radical: SARGENT!!
Confederate: WAIT A MINUTE!! WAIT A MINUTE!! NO, I WON’T MIND!! I WON’T MIND!!
Radical: Okay… one more thing… you can’t run for office or change any laws or anything like that… got it?
Confederate: Yes suh…
Radical: Okay Reb!! Welcome back to the Union!! Sargent Leroy, escort this man back home and say “Hi” to his family for me… Chairman, you have the floor…
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Hair’s To the Native American
Yep, that was all they had to do… take an oath not to rebel against the federal government… and then the end of Reconstruction came. Now I don’t know how many of you know about the superheroes called the Fantastic Four, but there is one character named Johnny Storm. He is the Human Torch and could turn his body into fire. Not just any fire, he could become as hot as the sun!! Just before he would turn into a pillar of fire, he would say something that reminded me of what a lot of the Confederates were saying after Reconstruction ended… he would yell, “FLAME ON!!” That’s just about how it went down after Reconstruction ended… they turned the flame on, and the confederates became walking pillars of fiyah!!
So, way before Reconstruction ended, some of the federal troops who were stationed down south to make sure the white folks who were still feeling some kind of way about eating rats and drinking rainwater on account of their cities being blown to bits to free the Nigras… well a lot of those troops were sent west to address the Native Americans refusal to have their lands confiscated in what the federal government called manifest destiny. So, in simple terms manifest destiny was the belief that westward expansion was gonna happen… that it was ordained by the “Man” himself… and that it was gonna happen with or without Native American cooperation. Well, the federal government eventually won, and the country expanded from sea to shining sea… but at a cost. It cost them thousands of scalps. Those Native American warriors weren’t faquing around. Indeed, it took almost a century for the westward expansion to reach the Pacific Ocean. By then almost half the white men in the United States were baldheaded faquing with them Native Americans… some of the women too. Okay, let me stop…. I’m kidding.
The history of the Native American experience in the United States is a very sad and compelling story. You cannot know about American history, if you don’t know about Native American history. Study it.
Anyway, Georgia was one of the states that had already had their federal troops reassigned and when Reconstruction ended, “Flame On” started.
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THE DAILY CONFEDERATE
Volume LXIX…. No. 2025 © The Daily Confederate ATLANTA, SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 1877 Free
THE END OF RECONSTUCTION
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Olofdem In the Woods
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By Keck Sum
and Riley Soon
ATLANTA GA. — Today marks the last day of Reconstruction. At 12 midnight, April 1, 1877, the former Confederate States will be free to drop it likes its hot on the Nigras without notice. In a political windfall for the South, the Congress of the United States has removed the remaining federal troops guarding the Nigras by a vote of 299 -1. Alabama Senator Hang Olofdem did not vote for the measure on the grounds that he believes the Nigras should apologize first. Olofdem was a member of the Confederate Eight during the Reunification hearing by the Radicals and wants to hold similar hearings for the Nigras in the woods late at night. During the reunification hearings it was reported that Olofdem was forced to give his sisters hand in marriage to a nigra named Sgt. Leroy. He has been an ardent supporter for the Southern Retribution Hearings ever since.
Radical Senator Ian Someudders, denounced the retribution hearings as nothing more than a thinly veiled act of payback, and that the true nature of the hearing was because of Senator Olofdem’s perceived embarrassment for his son in-law hosting the “Look At Me Now Mama Pimps Ball” at the senator’s plantation, White Power. Olofdem has been under intense scrutiny after it was alleged, he threw the raisin potato salad out the window at his son in-law’s wedding and served macaroni and cheese instead. Olofdem has denied the accusations and said the Nigras threw it out the window.
Senator Berry Fairskin, another member of the Confederate Eight, has proposed legislation that makes raisin potato salad the state food of Georgia.
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Update: Atlanta Georgia—- April 2, 1877
By a vote of 49-0-1, SRA- 01- 1966 has passed. The Southern Retribution Act empowers the state to hold apology hearings late at night in the woods. Senator H. Olofdem has been elected as chair of the new committee. When asked about the committee’s mandate, Chairman Olofdem said they will be accepting all white apologies and some Nigra apologies as long as they are delivered with sincerity in their hearts… and with respect, fear and trembling. Unfortunately, the states one black representative, Afree Kan, who was elected during Reconstruction, was hit by a stagecoach in front of the Capitol yesterday as he arrived at work, which led to the sole abstention vote. Several eyewitnesses verified Senator Kan voted to abstain moments before he passed away. In a brief statement, Chairman Olofdem said Kan was a good one, and that he is in his thoughts and prayers. The stagecoach involved in the deadly hit and run was later found in a barn at Senator Olofdem’s residence. Olofdem has refused to comment in citing an ongoing investigation. Police are still searching for the suspect, but believe the assailant was a black male. Olofdem who witnessed the crime also reported seeing a black male run from the scene.
Police Statement-They are… he is considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached. Please contact Colonel Cleveland Stonewall Beauregard of the 110th Georgia at the state militia compound if you spot them him. A reward of $1.00 is being offered if you are a Nigra and $100 if you are a gawd fearing red blooded American, for any information leading to their his capture.
THIS IS A BREAKING STORY.
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It’s About Trust
So yeah, right after Reconstruction ended, the South began their retaliation on the black population. Now make no mistake about it, at the end of the Civil War black codes took effect all over the former confederate states. To combat those abominations, Congress enacted the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution. So basically, if I remember correctly, the 13th freed us, the 14th made us American citizens and the 15th gave us the right to vote. They are collectively known as the Reconstruction Amendments (RA). So, the reason I bring this up, is that the black codes predate the Reconstruction Amendments, and the black codes were mainly enforced through azz whippings and lynchings. After the amendments were passed, the confederates needed another way to control the black population.
That’s when they instituted the system known as Jim Crow. Jim Crow was a legal way to get around the Reconstruction Amendments. Jim Crow laws did not challenge the constitutional amendments but took advantage of the loopholes left in them by the pro slavery southern democrats who helped write them.
Now, the 15th amendment was the last of the RA’s, it was passed in 1870. Between 1865 and 1877 when Reconstruction ended, almost a generation of African Americans had been born who had never been enslaved. This was important because you were now starting to see a lot of black folks who didn’t give a cuss word. They were Americans in every sense of the word, and they weren’t about to put up with a whole lot of BS. Between 1865 and 1906 there were over twenty race riots, only this time blacks weren’t the only casualties.
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Raycyst: I SAW THE NIGRAS GO INTO THAT HOUSE RIGHT OVER THERE!! BILLY GO IN THERE AND GET EM’!!
Billy: Wait!! What?!!
Raycyst: I SAID GO IN THERE AND BRING THOSE NIGRAS OUT!!
Billy: Why don’t we just ask them to come out… you know… I mean…
Racist: ARE YOU TELLING ME YOU ARE AFRAID OF A BUNCH OF NIGRAS?!!
Billy: No… but ain’t that Ralph laying down on the porch in front of the front door? I don’t think he’s taking a nap Ray!!
Raycyst: HOT DANG IT!! I’ll do it myself!! “HEY YOU NIGRAS!! YOU GOT TILL THE COUNT OF THREE TO COME OUT!! IF YOU DON’T… IMA COME IN THERE AND GET YOU!! ONE!! TWO!! THREE!! HERE I COME!!
House: BA-ROOOOOMMMMM!!
Billy: OMG!!!! WHAT WAS THAT!!! WAS THAT A GUN!!? WHERE IS RAY?!!
Arriving Racist: What was that noise…? We heard the Nigras are holed up in that house…
Billy: Naw… ain’t nobody in there… let’s go…
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THE WAY I SEE IT….
So, in 1906 there was a little known incident in Atlanta that became known as the 1906 Atlanta Race Riot. What made this riot so special was that it was the first riot involving African Americans in the state capitol!! The white folks could still smell the smoke from when Sherman had gone through there back in 1865, when he burned it to the ground. After the federal troops left in 1871, even back sass in Atlanta was a punishable offense, most times by a whooping, but sometimes by even worst!! Although they had Jim Crow, it just didn’t take the place of a good old fashion plantation style azz whooping in front of the enslaved help. In any event, rioting in Atlanta was unheard of.
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Racist 1: SMACK!! SMACK!!
Racist 2: SIR, YOU HAVE STAINED MY HONOR IN FRONT OF MY HONEY DUMPLING!! I DEMAND SATISFACTION!! I CHALLENGE YOU TO A DUEL!!
Racist 1: AND SO YOU SHALL HAVE IT!! BOY HAND ME MY PISTOL!!!
Blackman: SUH I NEED TO…
Racist 1: BOY DON’T BACK SASS ME!! I’LL TAKE CARE OF YOU LATER!! NOW HAND ME MY PISTOL!!!
Second: On the count of three men… you are to take ten steps, then turn and fire… One!! Two!! Three!! BANG!! BANG!! BANG!!
Second: Boy put yo’ Massa’s body in the back of the wagon and take him home… I don’t know for the life of me why he didn’t fire!!
Blackman: I tried to tell him… He said he didn’t trust Nigras around guns with bullets in them and told me to take them out…
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So anyway, taking advantage of the animosity the former confederate state had against African Americans, the local newspapers published a story about four white women that had been raped by black men. As an aside, that’s how a lot of the newspapers down south made their money. They kept the divide between blacks and white as wide as possible. Racism sold papers. Of course, the stories were fake and there was no evidence any crimes like that had occurred, but it was like the old adage goes… “give me a reason.” Southern confederate whites wanted a reason…
Later a grand jury convened, and two black men were indicted for raping a woman named Ethel Lawerence and her niece, Mabel Lawerence.
Now Mabel was from England and was visiting her brother in Atlanta. Mabel and her aunt were picking wildflowers when the alleged attack by the black men occurred. The attack was brutal. Mabel ended up hospitalized and lost sight in one of her eyes.
Now it’s one thing if a Southern lily is raped by a heathen nigra and both of them live in the south. Naturally toes are going to be swinging by nightfall. It’s a whole new ballgame if an “English” lily from across the big pond is raped while visiting her red blooded, gawd fearing American family in the heart of the confederacy by a heathen nigra!! Now it’s a matter of “HONOR!”
Racist: “HOT DIGGITY DOG!! THE NIGRAS HAVE GONE AND DID SOMETHING NOW!!”
After word got out, it was on and poppin! Dozens of white men and boys began gathering in gangs. Their aim? To beat, stab and shoot as many black people as possible. They started in the Five Points area, attacking black folks on streetcars and on the sidewalks of the downtown district.
Meanwhile, extra editions of the newspaper were being printed and distributed with the headline…
“NIGRA’S SAY FAQUE THE WHITE MAN!! WE’LL RAPE AND KILL WHO EVER WE WANT TO!!”
Okay, I don’t know if the newspapers printed that, but whatever the extra additions printed, by midnight upwards of 15,000 white men and boys were now roaming the streets of Atlanta attacking any black person in sight.
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Reporter: Chief, I got a report of couple of Nigras being shot in Maggie’s. They were chased in there by a group of red blooded, gawd fearing Americans. Maggie was behind the counter and when they came in, she ducked down. When the men went in there, the Nigs jumped behind the counter with Maggie too. Then the good old boys jump over the counter. Those Nigras put up a hell of a fight. Maggie said one of the Nigs got caught on the head with a rifle butt… he was bleeding all over her dress. They finally got the Nigras out and was getting ready to take them to the sheriff when one of them turned and looked at Whitey, right in the eyeball! Well, the good old boys had no option left but to open fire…
I was thinking about putting the story in the extra edition…
Editor: Sounds like a good story! I’ll make a few changes first, and then we’ll print it. Okay let’s see here…
Instead of saying they were chased in there… let’s say they came in there and were going to rob Maggie!! Maggie tried to escape but they cornered her behind the counter and raped her… Some gawd fearing men coming from church saw through the window what was happening and ran in to assist Maggie. The Nigras told them to leave now or else!! When the men refused, one of the Nigs grabbed Maggie and began chanting “White Women!! White Women!!” Then one of the gawd fearing men picked up a bible and began to pray… ” Lawd please… all I want to do is get my hands on that Nigra…” That’s when one of the Nigras pulled out a gun and said, “Let’s see if you can get yo’ hands on this yamma I’ma bout to put in yo’ dome!!! The man fell to his knees and put the bible to his heart and said, If I have one life to give… then I’ll give it to the sweet Lilies of Georgia!! Fortunately for the young lion of Georgia, the Nigras gun jammed and that gave the other gawd fearing men time to pull out their guns and put a yamma in his dome… One more thing… let’s say that one of the Nigras was seen peeping at the preacher’s wife through a board in their outhouse and that the preacher saw him and whipped that azz… that’s why one of them got a knot on his head… Okay… print it!!
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48 Hours
Yessiree!! The newspapers were whipping the situation into a frenzy!
By 2am pm on the first night of the mob attack, more than 30 black folks had been killed. Scores of others had been injured. The Governor called out the army and closed the trolly lines to reduce the mobility of the white mob, which were now beginning to filter into the black neighborhoods. The mobs had started attacking people in their homes and driving some out into the street where others awaited to attack them. People were attacked at Herndon’s Barbershop, the Post Office and the Marion Hotel. They attacked people on Decatur Street and Peters Street, the center of black restaurants, bars and businesses. They assaulted any black person they came upon. Around 3am a heavy rain came and for a while the violence subsided.
Now I’m going to stop right here for a minute, because given the facts that I have already presented to you, you might come away with the idea that the white mobs were dropping it like it’s hot with abandonment on the Negroes. However, let it be noted that the African American population in Atlanta, Georgia at the time represented a significant economic bloc. The mayor and the governor sent in the militia and army to quell the violence and protect the black businesses that were contributing significantly to the capitol city’s tax revenue.
With that being said, during the first night of the mob attacks, the militia was deployed around 1am that morning, however they didn’t get “organized” until around 6am, Further still, many were not armed when they finally did get “organized”. Now I don’t know why anyone would come to a gun fight without a gun, but Ima just let that go and tell you what my southern brothers would say… “God bless they hearts…”
Anyway, the mob attacks lasted from September 22 – September 24. The 22nd was on a Saturday. With all the azz whipping and killing the mob had done that Saturday, by Sunday many blacks fled to distance themselves from the violence. I said many blacks fled… but not all.
That Sunday a group of African Americans similar to the NFAC gathered in Brownsville, a black community near Clark University and begin to polish their boots and talk about how many people they would be taking with them before they go. The men were armed to the teeth! The Fulton County PoPo learned about the meeting and went there to “bring the Nigras out.” So that didn’t go that well for them and an officer was killed. It took three militia companies to arrest and disarm the 250 black men, who were getting ready to go to downtown Atlanta and make it happen!
So, by Monday, the violence had subsided except for a few sporadic instances. Later a grand jury was convened and put out a statement which fully put the blame on the Atlanta newspapers and how they presented the various criminal activities:
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“Believing that the sensational manner in which the afternoon newspapers of Atlanta have presented to the people the news of the various criminal acts recently committed in this county has largely influenced the creation of the spirit animating the mob of last Saturday night; and that the editorial utterances of The Atlanta News for some time past have been calculated to create a disregard for the proper administration of the law and to promote the organization of citizens to act outside of the law in the punishment of crime…
Resolved–
That the sensationalism of the afternoon papers in the presentation of the criminal news to the public prior to the riots of Saturday night… deserves our severest condemnation…”
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The Atlanta Race Riot was ignored for over 100 years. In 2006, its 100-year anniversary, the event was finally recognized and in 2007, it was made part of the state’s social studies curriculum for public schools.
So that’s the story of the Atlanta Race Riot. Although it has been disputed on the number of African Americans killed, it is believed that between 25 and 50 black folks lost their lives. It was confirmed that two whites were also killed in the event. Ignited by greed and racism the Atlanta Race Riot of 1906 has finally and thankfully been brought to the light.
Thanks for reading ©Hill1News
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