out of the woods?
While working at The Varsity movie theater, I assembled, previewed and sat in on many films I otherwise wouldn’t normally have the time, money or inclination to watch. Rosewood was a film that terrified and educated me more than any of the other films I’d ever seen up to that point. I can’t remember if I’d spliced together and previewed this film late one evening or in the wee hours of the morning, all by myself in the old theater (converted from the original massive single screen into a 3 screen theater). While the old building and strange hour tended to be a bit spooky for those less-than-cheery moving pictures, Rosewood certainly did not require any of those elements to enhance its effect. Despite or maybe because of the intense effect of this film, I think that it should be considered for appropriately aged school audiences.
I’m making mention of this because I’ve stumbled across a website that details similar circumstances in a community called Greenwood. The site tells the story of the Tulsa, Oklahoma race riot that destroyed this community. It also indicates that something can yet be done about this horrible injustice. There is a lot of information on this site but I think the information presented in The Tulsa Race Riot by Scott Ellsworth (the first 2 links) is amazing and gives a great deal of information. The Rosewood riot is mentioned on the site as well.
http://www.tulsareparations.org/TulsaRiot1Of3.htm
http://www.tulsareparations.org/TRR2.htm
http://www.tulsareparations.org/TRR.htm
http://www.tulsareparations.org/
http://www.tulsareparations.org/FAQ.htm
http://www.directblackaction.com/roserep.htm
It would be easy to say that times have changed and the United States is well past this. I have to think that these accounts are a reminder of the power of this evil and the deep roots of racism and other intolerance that manifest themselves in numerous and unspoken ways, both subtle and overt, even today. If you’re asking yourself why it is necessary to dredge up these old horrible things that happened so long ago, maybe you can give your own answer to these questions:
What injustices of yesterday and today are instructed by the ignorance of the past and proceed undimished by stories left untold? Who is hurt and who is spared when a story like this remains hidden? What can we do? What can I do?
Thanks to wise Frank Gill and his sons Warren and Loren for being the impetus for this random information find. (And props to Dad for the trip to the boy scouts club.)
24 December 2002, 00:49 ::
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— jg 2003-01-06 08:54 #