Phoenix tribune., 1922-02-11
(By Mrs. Ida B. Wells-Barnett,
Chicago, Illinois)

The year, 1921, was fraught with
much significance for the Negro. Has
he carefully studied the situation
learned its lessons and is he prepar
ing to apply them during 1922?
Let us see:
There was the Tulsa riot in Okla
homa last spring in which was wiped
out the finest section of that city be
cause it was owned by prosperous
Negroes. Scores of our best citizens
were killed, their property destroyed
by fire, thousands are homeless and
poverty-stricken and many are scat.
tered to the four corners of the coun.
try. Many are on trial for their lives
since all this, because the brave
manly Negroes of that town would
not let a member of their race be
lyRched on the silly charge of a hy-
stei'ical, white woman. The same pro-
cedure of prosecuting Negroes in
court for defending themselves and
property from attack by white mobs
has taken place in the courts there,
as in East st. Louis. Chicago, Wash
ington City and other places.
Does the race as whole know the
exact history of the Tulsa riot? Has
there been any concerted, systematic
effort made to do anything about it,
or to get true story of the whole
outrageous affair before the American
public? Has the Associated Negro
Press taken up the case of E. j.
Smitherman, editor Tulsa Star, as
brave a man and able editor as we
have. Did our Negro Business League
which met in Atlanta, Ca, do or say
anything to aid those Negro business
men of Tulsa who had followed its
teachings and established flourishing
businesses in their home town?
Who is there to take up the matter
of supporting and defending our own
if we do not?
The Ku klux Klan
Then there is the Ku Klux Klan
which had its startling revival last
year. This organization during recon.
struction days regained for the south,
under cover of white sheets and pillow
case DISCUSSES, all it had lost in the
civil war, save actual buying and sell
ing Of Negroes. 1t showed the Negro,
from 1865 to 1871. that the federal
government could not protect their
Lives, their ballots, nor their new
found freedom even though the re-
publican party was in power Hav-
ing driven the Negro out of the south
at last by disfranchising, lynching and
Jim-Crowing him for forty years, the
Ku Klux Klan has revived itself to
do the same in the north. The secret
of its amazing growth last year IN
the north was because it promised
the white man to carry out the same
program against this unwanted horde
of Negroes who are now where they
can use the ballot for themselves. and
secure protection for their lives and
property.
Because of certain exposures by the
New York World and other Jewish
and Catholic sources, Negroes are
saying ''The Ku Klux Klan is dead"
But does the Negro against whom its
activities are most directed, know it
is dead What steps have we taken
as a race to make sure that this sinis-
ter menace to our liberties, is not
carrying on?"
The Republican Party Policy
The republican party of Lincoln
and Grant through the republican ma
tional committee last year definitely
and openly committed itself to the
lilly white" movement of Texas,
Georgia, Virginia and other southern
states in an effort to win white votes.
Far-seeing members of the rare have
long urged the Negro to form Negro
party, uniting and holding its strength
to throw to either party which would
give the Negro recognition and politi-
cal protection. Now that the republi-
can party itself has taken the initia-
tive, will the Negroes themselves fol-
low the lead of the black republicans
of Virginia and put out a ticket and
platform of their own?
That was a splendid piece of work
by brave and manly men, a fitting
demonstration by the real republican
vote of Virginia, which had too much
self-respect to vote for a ticket which
ignored and insulted them, yet kept
their forces together so that they
could deliver blow If they follow
it up by defeating the lily white can
didate for congress this fall Just as