In 1956, the California Eagle and the Arizona Sun published simultaneous reports on a cross-burning in New Orleans. Both articles recorded that a sign had been placed above the blaze that read: “Keep our kids safe from the black plague.”[1] Both reports also noted that the cross-burning occurred near the monument of CSA President Jefferson Davis. The California Eagle took the additional step of connecting the cross-burning to an incident involving the director of the NAACP in Florence, South Carolina. The director refused to use the back door at a railroad station and was arrested.[2]
Justin Seward
Please cite as:
Seward, Justin. “Cross-Burning in New Orleans near Davis Monument.” False Image of History: Perspectives on Confederate Commemoration from the Black Press (online). Fall 2024 Edition. Schaefer, Donovan O., ed. URL = https://falseimage.pennds.org/essay/cross-burning-in-new-orleans/.
References
Arizona Sun. “New Appearance of Old Symbol.” March 8, 1956, 7.
California Eagle. “Cross Burns in New Orleans.” March 1, 1956, 1.
Arizona Sun, “New Appearance of Old Symbol,” 7; California Eagle, “Cross Burns in New Orleans,” 1. ↩︎
California Eagle, “Cross Burns in New Orleans,” 1. ↩︎