Photograph: Candles are lighted by those attending the event. (Photograph by Freddie Herpin.)
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
Lighted candle flames danced against the strength of a strong breeze Wednesday night as the memory of perhaps the most violent incident in Opelousas history was recounted by voices from the present.
Those who spoke in front of the St. Landry Parish Courthouse during the annual commemoration of the 1868 Opelousas massacre, emphasized that avoiding the painful memory of a similar event is through education and continued voter registration.
“Education and the right to vote are powerful weapons,” said Elsie Semien, who coordinated the ceremony at the event sponsored by the parish chapter of the NAACP.
Semien and subsequent presenters discussed details of the documented trail of murder and brutality that occured on Sept. 28, 154 years ago, following the severe beating of Emerson Bentley, a white teacher and newspaper editor who spoke out against racial discrimination and difficulties Blacks experienced with obtaining equal voting rights and education opportunities.
Historians have debated the number of Blacks who were either killed or injured during several days of reprisals engineered by white mobs, but Semien added that animosity among whites grew as Blacks began requesting more voting and educational access.
“The formerly enslaved people in Opelousas were unhappy since the 14th amendment had granted them privileges that they were unable to enjoy themselves. As a result, racial tensions tightened,” said Semien.
Parish NAACP president Rod Sias told the crowd the fight against injustices that began by Opelousas-area Blacks during the 19th century needs to continue.
St. Landry residents still have problems with residing in safe neighborhoods and achieving self-determination, Sias maintained.
“We need to rally around our community, but there are people out there who are pushing back. There are people who do not want us to progress,” said Sias.
Sias also referenced a quote by former Holy Ghost Catholic Church pastor Albert McKnight.
“(McKnight) told us that the essence of life is who owns and who controls. If we don’t control our lives and schools, then we are slaves. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be a slave,” Sias added.
Francisco Cocco pointed to the nearby Confederate monument as a symbol of the Jim Crow laws passed during the post-Reconstruction era,limiting the freedoms granted to Blacks.
Cocco questioned why the monument had not been removed from the Courthouse property and replaced with a memorial to what he called “freedom fighters who lost their lives trying to obtain the right to vote and for freedom.”
Ola Prejean pointed to the number of lynchings that occurred near Opelousas. Prejean said more attention should be paid to lynchings along with remembering the persons who were victimized by the events.
As individuals struggled to maintain the lights of their candles extinguished by the stiff wind, Sias reminded them of the significance of keeping their flames going.
“We all need to continue to come together and keep the light shining,” Sias said.
Opelousas residents Pat Fontenot and Elsie Semien attend the Opelousas Massacre ceremony Wednesday night. (Photograph by Freddie Herpin.)
