Black History: Opelousas Riots

As I was looking up moments in Black History to research for Black History Month, I came across a period in time right after the Civil War called the Opelousas Riots. Now this intrigued me because we are getting ready to elect a new president whether Democrat or Republican. Did you know that originally in the South the Democratic party would not allow freed African­Americans to join and members were mostly white supremacists? Crazy right! Today the Democratic Party is predominantly black and the Republican Party has the lead with the majority white.

That was not the case in 1868 when freed African­Americans strongly supported the Republican Party. On September 20, 1868 in Opelousas, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana violence erupted when a group of freed African­Americans who lived in Opelousas and could vote attempted to join the Democratic party. Members of the Seymour Knights a group affiliated the white supremacist organization The Knights of White Camellia grew angry refusing to allow blacks into the Democratic party and they used physical violence to drive them out. Emerson Bentley, was a white newspaper editor for The Progress a Republican newspaper and school teacher originally from Ohio who wrote an article about the violence the Seymour Knights used to influence blacks and any supporters to remain loyal to the GOP. The article Bentley published sparked an outrage in Opelousas which resulted in more violence including Bentley being brutally whipped, beaten by three white men. There is a dispute on how many blacks and white supporters were killed during the riots however, the number of blacks killed were between 150­300 according to the Republican party and around 30 white supporters murdered as well. It is not clear which side initiated the battle on September 28, but the Democrats had the clear advantage. During the massacre blacks and any supporters were shot, killed, taken prisoner, or executed immediately. Twelve black Republican leaders were taken and later executed which prompted anti­black violence through the region.