As I stayed glued to my television, tweeting information in hopes families impacted out of state could reconnect with loved ones, I thought of my own children and how vulnerable we are in today’s climate of violence. It impacts us all, regardless of where we live, racial or ethnic background, or financial and political influence. To address this issue the Clark County Black Caucus recently hosted the Legacy of Violence in the African American Community Summit in partnership with The Action Company and Like It Is Radio with support from Legal Aid of Southern Nevada, NCEDSV, Gritz Café, NAACP, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
The African American community has experienced a long history of violence and as our country continues to heal, let’s not be guilty of invalidating the horrific tragedies of mass shootings and killings in the U.S. simply because they were people of color. When the mass media referred to October 1st as the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, it struck a nerve with many Black people who asked on social media why their experiences remain invisible or irrelevant to American media and society.
For those not familiar here are a few examples: In 1917 a race riot in East St. Louis left 200-700 Black residents murdered, after given the option to burn in their homes or be shot while trying to escape the flames. This included those that were lynched. In the Philips County, Arkansas Massacre of 1919, its estimated 237 to 800 people were lynched, beaten, and killed. And in one of the largest incidents it’s estimated that 300 Black victims lost their lives in the Tulsa, Oklahoma Massacre of 1921. The Equal Justice Initiative observes, “Racial terror lynching was a tool used to enforce Jim Crow laws and racial segregation.”
My thoughts and prayers are with the victims, families, and friends affected by October 1st and other brutal attacks of violence around the world. We can each make a difference in how we choose to treat each other.
Yvette Williams is a community advocate and Chair/Founder of the Clark County Black Caucus, a non-partisan community organization driven 100% by volunteer members registered to vote. Follow her Blog at www.YvetteBWilliams.com and on twitter @YvetteBWilliams or contact her at ClarkCountyBlackCaucus@gmail.com for more information.