African Americans Meet in Columbus to Protest the “Reign of Terror” in the South

By Doreen Uhas Sauer

As the state capital, Columbus, Ohio was often a hotbed of political meetings, speeches by famous people, rallies, and organizing around the turn of the 20th Century. In October, 1900, Columbus was the site of a nonpartisan meeting of African Americans who were united in their condemnation of a “reign of terror” that affected African Americans in the South.

They wanted to impress upon the public that they too should be against lawlessness, at a time when many of these violent activities were unknown or overlooked by the American public.
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The nonpartisan meeting reported the reign of terror was:

…manifesting itself by shooting, lynching, and burning Negroes upon the slightest occasion, disfranchising them, curtailing their school privileges, and in every manner possible, depriving their citizenship of its usefulness.

They appealed to people to help defend life and liberty and the majesty of the law. These organizers, who were working across the Republican and Democratic lines, also raised controversial issues too, condemning the WCTU (Women’s Christian Temperance Union) who were engaged in endless prayers to bring about the demise of alcohol. ​