美國政府對這個被稱為“美國曆史上最嚴重的種族暴力事件”的處理,似乎並未真正安撫到倖存者和非裔美國人的傷痛。
作者:蔣鯉
當地時間5月19日,3名“塔爾薩大屠殺”倖存者出席美國國會聽證會,要求起訴塔爾薩市及大屠殺肇事者。而距離那場數百名非洲裔被白人暴徒屠戮的事件,已過去整整一百年。
種族主義一直是美國的痼疾,結構性種族主義正加速着美國社會的分裂。在此次聽證會上,最年長的倖存者維奧拉?弗萊徹稱,“我已經107歲了,但從來沒有見過正義”。106歲的倖存者蘭德爾也表示,塔爾薩黑人社區仍然是一個平民窟,“至今仍是一團糟,他們沒有重建它。”
美國政府對這個被稱為“美國曆史上最嚴重的種族暴力事件”的處理,似乎並未真正安撫到倖存者和非裔美國人的傷痛。一百年過去了,這一段歷史逐漸在很多人的記憶中慢慢淡去,只剩下寥寥無幾的親歷者在痛苦的回憶中盼望公正判決的來臨。這些百歲老人,能等到嗎?
1921 Tulsa Race Massacre:Justice far overdue
By John Lee
(ECNS) -- Three centenarian survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre testified in court during a U.S. congressional hearing on Wednesday, suing the city of Tulsa. It has been a hundred years since a violent white mob swept the city’s "Black Wall Street," "killing hundreds of African Americans," according to The Guardian。
Racism is a major and long-lasting feature of the United States, with deeply-rooted structural racism accelerating the division of American society. Viola Ford Fletcher, the eldest survivor at the hearing, said "I am 107 years old and have never seen justice." “Black Tulsa is still messed up today. They didn't rebuild it. It's empty, it's a ghetto,” said Lessie Benningfield Randall, who is now 106.
The U.S. government's handling of "one of the worst episodes of racial violence in American history" does not soothe the pain and sorrow of African Americans. As this part of history is fading in the country, only a handful of those who witnessed and tasted its bitterness are looking forward to justice。
One hundred years have passed by and the witnesses grown old. How long can they still wait for a day of fairness?