By: Rene Childress

I want to apologize for the recent lull  in presenting these stories. Life always interjects itself into our human condition. I lost a dear friend and his children needed my counsel.  This work is my passion and I want to continue on. So we begin again. 

Our current Worst Story brings us to southern Illinois. A place called East Saint Louis ,Illinois. It is a small industrialized town just above the “Cotton Curtain”. 

It was one of the way stations for black people attempting to escape the horrendous yoke of southern “White  Supremacy” and  its violent terrorist regime. 

East Saint Louis is just 6 hours by car from Mississippi the hell hole that was and in some ways still one of the great bastions of racial animus. As the twentieth century began to turn over, blacks gave up on their places of birth and tradition as places where they could thrive and safely raise their families. They began migrating to other parts of the country where they hoped the shadow of the lash and the burden of unending terror would give way to the daylight of democracy and prosperity. These former slaves ventured far and wide in the search for better, more secure lives for themselves and their progeny. 

It is 1917.  The world is on fire in the throes of  “The Great War”(WW1).  Large numbers of the industrial cities in the Northern and Midwestern sections of the country were flush with job opportunities created because of the demand for U.S, goods and foodstuffs. 

These cities had mostly unionized workforces. The entry of the United States into the European conflict created a labor shortage just as the need for war material began to escalate precipitously.  These union jobs had always been white male jobs. The corporations who ran these industries saw an opportunity to replace their unionized workforce with a more pliant workforce of Blacks attempting to flee the indentured South. 

Many of these corporations sent recruiters to the south promising jobs and transportation to welcoming communities where they could prosper and be secure from the terror that was the South. 

Two thousand a week became the flow of African-Americans arriving in the fair city of East St. Louis during the spring of 1917. The economic pressure of these new migrating Americans would become a pressure cooker stirred by unscrupulous union officials and greedy corporate owners in the struggle  against and for ever cheaper labor.

This cauldron eventually boiled over into one of the “ Worst Stories Ever Told” the “East St. Louis Race Riot” or as the NAACP called it “The East St. Louis Massacre”. This horrendous set of events began May 28,1917 after a union meeting of three thousand members descended on the City Fathers decrying the use of non union black workers to  foster lower wages by recalcitrant Corporation owners. 

This group eventually morphed into a lawless mob attacking any black person they came upon. Governor Frank Lowden called out the Illinois National Guard. They quelled this initial violence. The beast of racial animus having tasted the sweet taste of terror would not continue to be pent up without a true and forceful response from law enforcement. 

This effort was not forthcoming not from local, state or federal authorities. As a consequence of this lack of will to do what needed to be done. The beast roared back consuming the whole of East St, Louis and its surrounding towns. It started July 1,1917 with several cars of white citizens driving through the African-American communities shooting into homes and cars.  When an unmarked car carrying white detectives approached the African-American it was mistaken for white terrorists returning for another round of violence. 

Several men from this community had armed themselves and were attempting to defend their homes. The two detectives were inadvertently shot and killed.  Rumors spread far and wide. The thirst for blood and revenge would not be quenched until the entire African-American community would be purged from the city of East St. Louis.

The entire African-American populace was put upon. Women, men and children were murdered in their homes. Their houses were set ablaze. They were shot to pieces as they attempted to flee the flames. They were taken from trolley cars and beaten. White women took special relish in beating and disrobing African-American women trying to seek safety. 

This carnival of mayhem raged for three days. It wasn’t until July 5,1917. Even after the national guard was called in, the violence continued. The guard had orders not to shoot the white law breakers and terrorists. There were rumors that several of the guard members joined in the frivolity of chasing people from their homes. 

By the time some sense of calm returned to the streets of East S.Louis over six thousand souls had been displaced. Thousands had been attacked. Over two hundred were murdered. Over three hundred structures owned by African-American were destroyed. 

There are witness reports of African-American women being stoned to death,while their infants were shot in the head. In the aftermath of these events thirty-five people were charged. Remarkably,twenty-five blacks were charged and convicted of serious crimes requiring prison. Unremarkably there were only ten whites who were charged and only five were ever convicted. 

With all the atrocities and terror meted out by the white community of East St.Louis only five were ever held accountable. Two of the convicted whites were charged for murder because the bullet they used to kill a black man passed through his body killing a fellow white rioter. Other than a plaque commemorating these events the African-American population of East St.Louis has never had justice. This community lost their lives and their livelihoods. Their losses were and are devastating and generational. The State of Illinois owes them recompense for its failure to protect all of its citizens. This is truly a “Worst Story Ever Told”. 

LET US NOT FORGET !