Introduction to the Friends of Elaine

Kenneth B. Bedell, Ph.D.

Friends of Elaine Intro

You are invited to join the online community, Friends of Elaine. Ending Racism USA, in partnership with the Elaine Legacy Center in Elaine, Arkansas, formed the group that will meet on the third Monday of the month at 6 p.m. Central Time on Zoom. Ending Racism USA has established this area on our website where you can find articles about Elaine and the 1919 massacre. You can also visit the Elaine Legacy Center website. Sign up on the Join Friends of Elaine page.

Goals and Focus Areas

The goal of Friends of Elaine is to support descendants of the 1919 Elaine massacre and residents of Elaine so that the past impacts of racism are recognized and reparations are made. We will also address the persistent consequences of racism and support Elaine in becoming a rural community where all people prosper and racism no longer determines the future.

At first, Friends of Elaine will focus on three areas of activity: educating ourselves, sharing the story of Elaine, and collaborating with the Elaine Legacy Center to make a difference in the community.

Educating Ourselves

In the 1919 Elaine massacre, hundreds of Blacks were murdered, and a thriving Black community was destroyed. The events surrounding the Elaine massacre were hidden and denied by white citizens in the surrounding county. American historians left the story out of textbooks. Black people were afraid to tell what happened because they feared repercussions from white residents. Some Blacks wanted to protect their children and grandchildren by refusing to tell them what they experienced. Today, through oral histories and research in courthouses and places where there are written records, the true story is being revealed.

The story doesn’t end with the massacre. Since 1919, descendants have been subjected to a series of strategies by whites to deny Blacks civil rights and to prevent them from prospering. Friends of Elaine will learn about the current research to uncover the past. And we will investigate how racism has played a role since 1919 in impeding opportunities for individuals and community economic development. These stories are important because they help people across America understand the true history of America and free us from using inaccurate history to legitimize racism today.

Sharing the Story

As we learn about the story, Friends of Elaine will look for outlets so others will learn about Elaine. This may include social media, traditional media, and finding partners with other newsletter publishers. Friends of Elaine may write stories or produce videos. Others may pitch the story to other storytellers. Part of sharing the story is to visit Elaine ourselves and encourage others to do so. Today, few people are aware of the 1919 massacre. We will work with the people of Elaine so the story of the Elaine massacre is as well known as the story of the Tulsa massacre in 1921.

Making a Difference

The members of Friends of Elaine will come to know each other and to understand the story of both the massacre and the ongoing role of racism since then. It is important that possibilities for activities beyond learning and sharing the story emerge from the group. Friends of Elaine is not a “white savior” group. It is a multi-race group with descendants and Elaine residents, joined by others who want to do something that addresses ending racism.

What Does Joining Mean

First, joining means you want to learn more. When you join Friends of Elaine you will be included on both the Friends of Elaine mailing list and the Ending Racism USA mailing list. This will enable you to receive announcements, meeting agendas, reports from meetings, and other updates about Friends of Elaine as well as the Ending Racism USA monthly newsletter. We do not rent, sell, or share our mailing lists with others and you can unsubscribe any time. See our Privacy Policy for details.

Second, members of Friends of Elaine are invited to participate in the online meeting on the third Monday of the month. There are no dues or membership fees. All you need to do is sign up with your real name, email address, city, and state, and agree to the Ending Racism USA Code of Conduct. 

The agenda for the meetings will be distributed in advance. There is no obligation to attend the meetings. You can join Friends of Elaine and become involved right away or start by reading email until you decide to attend meetings. Each month a topic will be presented for discussion. This discussion topic will be the agenda for the first 30 minutes of the meeting. The second 30 minutes will include updates on activities in Elaine and hearing from the Elaine Legacy Center and others in Elaine.

Why Join

Friends of Elaine will be a place to talk honestly about the economic realities and the impact of racism that led to the 1919 massacre. More importantly, by participating in Friends of Elaine, you will be part of discussions that are not hypothetical.

We will discuss:

  • How can the true history of the massacre be shared so that it becomes part of the story of America?
  • What is needed to restore Elaine to a place where all people can prosper?
  • What reparations are demanded by the history of Elaine?
  • How can Friends of Elaine be intentional in working with the community to demonstrate that when racism and racial history are faced honestly it is possible to repair the damage done by racism?

What happened in 1919 cannot be undone, nor can the racial oppression of more than one hundred years. But Elaine can become a model where the direction is reversed, and the destiny of descendants and the community is determined by the people of Elaine. In that way, it will become a model for those who believe that America can overcome racism and become a multicultural nation where all identity groups participate fully and no individual experiences barriers that are greater than anyone else experiences.

What you will observe about how white-privileged capitalism takes care of the white elites and takes advantage of others is not unique. Also not unique, the industrialization of agriculture over the past 50 years is on full display in Phillips County, which surrounds Elaine. Farms and fields have been consolidated, so the family farm no longer exists. The large fields are worked with very expensive machinery, and local labor has been bypassed by recruiting seasonal farm workers, often from other countries. So, working for a fair wage is denied to residents of Elaine. In addition, the industrial farming methods poison the air, water, and soil itself, while all the income and profits go to the white farmers, with banks willing to give them loans, monopolistic chemical and supply companies with patents to ensure they profit, and, in some cases, absentee investors who own land.

By joining Friends of Elaine, you will be compelled to move beyond the theoretical and abstract discussions of the impact of racism. Together, the group will grapple with a concrete example of racism at work. We will participate in a collaboration between people who live in Elaine and people who don’t.

If you have suggestions or questions, please use the “Contact Us” button at the top of the screen or the “Log In” button to establish an account and comment at the bottom of this article. Sign up on the Join Friends of Elaine page or create an account to join Friends of Elaine.