STANDING WITH ELAINE
STANDING WITH ELAINE ©Wendell Griffen, 2019 August 29, 2019 In an opinion column published on August 22, 2019 by Baptist News Global, I condemned and denounced plans to “dedicate” a “memorial” or “monument” in Helena, Arkansas to the hundreds of black men, women, and children who were murdered in and near Elaine, Arkansas – 25 miles away from Helena - by white vigilantes and federal troops over the course of several days beginning October 1, 1919 ( https://baptistnews.com/article/a-monument-to-black-people-massacred-100-years-ago-in-arkansas-reeks-of-the-hypocrisy-jesus-condemned/#.XWecy-hKjIX ) . On August 24, 2019, Judge Brian Miller of Helena took issue with my critique of the Helena “monument” or “memorial” in a guest editorial published in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette ( https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/aug/24/honor-the-dead-20190824/?news-columnists ). I respect Judge Miller’s choice to honor his four great-uncles who were among the hundr...