Everyone was shocked to say the least when images were splattered across social media of hanging effigies at the main entrances of the UC Berkeley campus.
At first sight, it appears to be a racist act with the purpose of antagonizing protestors in support of #EricGarner . Well, it seems this demonstration was actually in support of the movement. This act was a way to symbolize modern day lynching. Each effigy had a name and a date on the bottom of it. It’s no coincidence that each effigy represented an African American who was lynched and didn’t receive justice.
The first one read: Laura Nelson 1911.
There are several conflicting stories about Laura Nelson. One thing all of the reports have in common is that Laura’s son L.D./Lawrence, who was 15-16 at the time, was shot dead after police showed up at their house after responding to a report of theft. Laura’s husband plead guilty to theft and Laura was lynched on May 25, 1911 after being accused of attempting to kill a cop after her son was shot at the scene.
Another one of the effigies represented Michael Donald, an African American man who was lynched by two Ku Klux Klan members after an unrelated African American man was accused of killing a white Police Officer.
It appears the protestors were looking for shock value. They wanted to make people uncomfortable, as the truth often does.
After knowing the meaning behind the protest, do you think it was too much? Or just enough?
6 Comments
I think it was enough, you need to shock to bring attention, and we need all the attention we can get… Things have to change
Bad idea in any context
Actually, Laura Nelson was lynched alongside her son LD. The pictures were placed on postcards (as was common practice back then), and the 4 existing pictures include a close up of Laura hanging from the bridge, a close up of LD, And I believe 2 of the crowd that had gathered behind the bodies (all of which ca be found on Google). Laura even had another baby that she was caring for while in jail, apparently when they were walking her to the bridge, she placed the baby on the ground, someone from a nearby town took the baby after the lynching, and cared for it until they grew into adulthood. Shame.
There is NO DOUBT that this effigy was placed there by black people.
How do I know? Well, I don’t. But I have just as much proof as you do that it was put there by white people. Your racism is so subtle, that even you don’t see it.
It was meant to fan the flames…
Totally reprehensible and irresponsible.
Chances are that it was put up by another black/POC or a white leftist seeking to win sympathy for non-existent victims of “white racism and oppression” – just as has happened innumerable times on college campuses across America (most recently at the University of Chicago and previously at Columbia U, etc etc. etc.). In other words, just a typical black “civil rights” scam.