re: What is a redeeming quality of Opelousas?

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Country Meat Block

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Beyond that, not much. The people are generally nice but very insular. The overall educational level is low. The public schools are awful. The overall level of sophistication is low, and most residents are happy for it to remain that way. I think there is still a good bit of racial tension as the old white power structure continues to grudgingly yield to the overwhelmingly black majority.

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75.1% African American

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the Sandoz family

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The Opelousas Massacre occurred on September 28, 1868 in Opelousas, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. The event is also referred to as the Opelousas Riot by some historians.

The initial catalyst for the massacre was the attempt by some Opelousas African Americans to join a Democratic Party political group in the neighboring town of Washington. White Democrats in Opelousas, mainly members of the Seymour Knights, the local unit of the white supremacist organization Knights of the White Camellia, visited Washington to violently drive them out of the party. In response to this, Emerson Bentley, an 18 year old Ohio-born white school teacher and editor of "The Landry Progress", a Republican newspaper in Opelousas, wrote an article which described the violence that the Seymour Knights had used against the black Democrats in Washington and argued that such violence should persuade the blacks to remain loyal to the Republican Party. Bentley had also been promoting the education of black children and spent time registering blacks to vote. Shortly after the article appeared, Bentley was assaulted and severely beaten by three white men while he taught his class. After the assault, Bentley fled town and headed back north.

Due to his mysterious absence, reports circulated that Bentley had been killed for his news article. Several local armed African Americans banded together to retaliate and marched toward Opelousas. Some retreated from the march after being informed that Bentley had not been murdered. The armed blacks were met by armed whites determined to defend their town, many of whom had been rallied by The Knights of the White Camellia. Due to local laws restricting gun ownership from blacks, the white Democrats had the overwhelming advantage in weapons, as well as in numbers. Shooting occurred by both sides and twenty-nine black prisoners were captured. On September 29, all of the captured prisoners, with the exception of two men, were taken from the prison and executed, including twelve leaders of the Black Republicans.

These events sparked anti-black violence that continued for weeks. The death toll of the massacre resulted in some controversy. Three white Radical Republicans and two Democrats were killed in the initial assault. Republicans stated that around 200-300 blacks were killed whereas the Democrats denied this claim as fraudulent and stated that only 25-30 were killed. Many historians today have concluded that the Republicans' estimate was more accurate. It was also reported that 30-50 whites were killed.

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