On Saturday, January 16, 2016, a historical marker memorializing the Slocum Massacre and honoring the acknowledged victims was unveiled in Anderson County, Texas. This commemoration comes just a few months shy of the 105
th anniversary of the tragic events.
The Slocum Massacre began on July 29, 1910, and continued on for two days to become what is considered one of the darkest moments in Texas history. There are many rumors about the origins of the violence, but what is clear is that many white members of the community ended up killing significantly more black members of that same community. The deaths of dozens of African Americans were recorded, though evidence suggests the number of casualties may be in the hundreds.
The dedication of this new memorial falls just two weeks before the one-year anniversary of the landmark’s approval by the Texas Historical Commission. The Commission was petitioned by Constance Hollie-Jawaid, a descendant of the Slocum Massacre, and E. R. Bills, author of
The 1910 Slocum Massacre: An Act of Genocide in East Texas.
In the closing pages of his book, Bills notes, “The Slocum Massacre – which, again, was worse than the Rosewood Massacre and likely surpassed the Tulsa Riots in terms of body count – has no memorial or historical marker…” which was sadly true at the time of the book’s publication in 2014. But, as of this Saturday, it no longer will be.
**Read more about the Slocum Massacre and
The 1910 Slocum Massacre: An Act of Genocide in East Texas in an article from today's
Washington Post.