Dallas, TX - On March 10, 1910, Allen Brooks was lynched while awaiting court proceedings. He was accused of raping Mary Beuvens, a young White toddler in late February 1910. He proclaimed his innocence as there was no proof (cont)
he committed a crime. Brooks was taken to jail and formally indicted a day later. He was moved to several jails outside the city limits due to concerns for his safety. He was returned to the Dallas courthouse where a mob of hundreds gathered. (cont)
After easily penetrating a human pillar of more than 100 law enforcers, the mob pushed its way through, demolishing doors to overrun the courthouse. A frenzied search for Brooks led to a jury room, where he was discovered hunkered down in a corner. A rope was tied around (cont)
his neck and he was pulled from the outside through a second story window. One report described Brooks as fighting “like a tiger” before being pulled through a window onto the street below. He landed headfirst and was beaten and stomped(cont)
until his face was a bloodied pulp. There was no justice meted by a judge or jury that day; only mob vengeance. He was dragged by automobile to the corner of Main and Akard where was hanged from a telephone poll near the giant arch; his body became a spectacle for (cont)
entertainment. By the time Dallas's undertaker arrived at the scene, he found that Brooks' body had been reduced to a "shapeless mass of flesh," with his undershirt and flannel—the only clothes still on his body—in tatters. The mob had torn pieces of his clothing off for (cont)
souvenirs. Out of this lynching, the ultimate souvenir is the postcards that were mass produced.
One such postcard included written commentary on the back: "This is a token of a great day we had in Dallas, March 3, a negro was hung for an assault on a three year old girl."(cont)
No one was held accountable for Brooks' death; not even the law enforcement officers who did not use their weapons to protect him.
The site of his lynching remained unmarked for more than century until 2021.
🧵 Many of you remember the 1967 Detriot riots. One of the most disturbing cases of police brutality in history took place that resulted in the murder of 3 Black teenagers. (cont)
#ProudBlue
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#Voices4Victory apnews.com/article/detroi…
During the 1967 Detroit riot, on July 25-26, a police task force raided the Algiers Motel after reports of sniper fire, where three unarmed Black teens—Carl Cooper (17), Aubrey Pollard (19), and Fred Temple (18) were found in the motel annex and assumed to be the snipers. (cont)
Carl Cooper was shot and was mistaken for an armed rioter. Aubrey Pollard was shot by Officer Ronald August, who claimed self-defense. Fred Temple was shot by Officer Robert Paille, also claiming self-defense. Motel guests, including two members of (cont)
🧵 During the Vietnam War, the Department of Defense (DoD) lowered its standards to enlist and draft the most vunerable and disenfranchised Americans for the war effort. (cont)
"Project 100,000" was a controversial program initiated by the DoD in October 1966, under the leadership of Defense Secretary Robert McNamara. Its primary purpose was to recruit soldiers who would previously have been deemed unfit for military (cont)
The Dap (Dignity &Pride) handshake is a complex and meaningful gesture that originated in Black American communities, particularly among soldiers during the Vietnam War. It's a dynamic and nuanced form of nonverbal communication that conveys solidarity, respect, and unity. (cont)
Transcended its military origins, becoming a powerful emblem of resilience, unity, and cultural pride within Black American communities and beyond. It serves as a powerful symbol of connection, respect, and identity, reflecting the ongoing importance of nonverbal (cont)
🧵 Yesterday, was the 53rd anniversary of a race riot that took place on the USS Kitty Hawk on Oct 12, 1972. Would you believe me if I told you it started over a sandwich?
The day before, there were fights between Black & White sailors during a port visit to Subic Bay in the Philipines. A ship search occurred on when the captain ordered the master-at-arms to inspect Black sailors' berthing areas for weapons. Tensions (cont)
had escalated from those fights, which injured several sailors, prompting fears of onboard arming. Black crew perceived the targeted searches as discriminatory, sparking clashes with security that deepened racial divides. The next day, (cont)
The Long Bính Jail ("LBJ"as it was called) was a U.S. military prison in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War that opened in 1966. It housed soldiers for offenses like AWOL or drug use. On August 29, 1968, an uprising occurred due to overcrowding, (cont)
(719 prisoners at the time of the uprising; facility was built for 400), harsh conditions, and racial tensions. Black soldiers who were 11% of U.S. troops and well over 90% of the inmate population, faced disproportionate punishments. The uprising (cont)
🧵 Bessie Stringfield, born Bessie Beatrice White on February 9, 1911 (some records list March 5), in Edenton, North Carolina, to Maggie Cherry and James White. (cont)
Some accounts, including those Stringfield herself shared later in life, claimed she was born Betsy Leonora Ellis in Kingston, Jamaica.
However, family members like her niece Esther Bennett and public records confirm the North Carolina origins, suggesting Stringfield (cont)
crafted a more exotic backstory to distance herself from her painful early years.
At age 16 in 1927, Stringfield received her first motorcycle—a 1928 Indian Scout. With no formal training, she taught herself to ride by practicing in a Boston (cont)