The Colfax Massacre

Our Living Legends Diana Kimble and Odinga Kambui describe events that occurred in 1873 in Colfax, Louisiana during a time in U.S. history when terrorism won. In a fight over voting and human rights, at least 150 U.S. citizens were murdered. Kimble and Kabui invite all to attend a commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the tragedy this Easter Sunday.

 

 

invitation

 

Count Time Podcast Living Legends Diana Kimble and Odinga Kambui 

 

The Colfax Massacre

 

Selected quotes and notes from Count Time Podcast with LD Azobra – The Colfax Massacre

Good evening. Good evening. Good evening it’s 4:00 PM. Stand up it’s count time, time for every man and woman to stand up and be counted. Welcome to another edition of Count Time podcast. I am brother LD Azobra. Thank you for joining us today.

cofax

Well we know it’s that time of the year where many are celebrating the resurrection of their lord and savior because this is the time of the year when they say, where your lord Christ was put in a tomb and on the third day he rose again. So it’s Easter Sunday coming up, but also we want to inform you this what we do best on Count Time, that 150 years ago. And they say 150 men of African descent, black men, also died on easter Sunday, but they never rose again.

But Count Time have rose up to share with you this remarkable story of 150 or so men who stood up to fight and protect their rights and who stood up for the truth. It was during the time of reconstruction, at the time when it was reconstructing the way this country was built, the way it was run. That’s what they told us. 150 men died protecting a courthouse in Colfax, Louisiana, inside of grant Parish, where these men stood and barricaded themselves in the courthouse to protect the election and those who was newly elected of African descent during the time of reconstruction.

colfax massacre

But today we have some people here who have orchestrated and put together This probably, I think it’s their 13th year of commemorating and memorializing these 150 men of African descent who stood for righteousness and justice and who stood to fight the system. Many of them died that day. So today we’re going to welcome to Count Time our sister who have just come in, who’s just flown in all the way from Ghana, Africa, but she’s a resident of Colfax. That’s where she grew up at, where all this took place at. So we’re going to welcome today Diana Kimball. Welcome to Count Time.

colfax_riot_sign

DK
Thank you very much. Glad to be here.

LD
We also have here our other friend and brother who’ve been working with sister Diana for many years, doing research, continuing to study, finding out information. We like to welcome Odinga Kambui. Welcome to Count Time.

colfax memorial

OK
Pleasure being here. Thanks for the invite. Yeah, I was a resident of colfax, Louisiana, at one time. In fact, I was in first grade there. And of course, I moved on after that, 10 miles up the road to boise before returning to Dallas in 8th grade.

colfax riot white supremacy memorial

And that hideous sign that had always been at the courthouse in Colfax misnomering the massacre as a riot, had the misfortune of passing by five days per week on the school bus, and no grown up ever explained what that meant. And so, of course, as I got up in age and started to be more curious and looking into it, I was able to discover what actually had happened not only in Colfax but around the country also. So that’s what kind of led up to us getting a spark to start doing a tribute commemoration to the tragic event that had taken place.

Lalita Tademy – Red River

book

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/1873-colfax-massacre-crippled-reconstruction-180958746/

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2003/07/the-colfax-riot/378556/