Wilmington Coup of November 10, 1898: A White Supremacist Mob Posing in Front of the Burned Office of The Daily Record, a Black Newspaper
It has been two weeks since the Presidential election of 2020. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic there was a record number of mail-in ballots so that it took several days to count the votes and for the result to become clear. On Saturday, November 7, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris became the President and Vice-President Elect. Yet to this day, President Trump refuses to concede and participate in the peaceful transition of government that is foundational to our democratic republic. Instead the President and his allies are trying to overturn the election results by claiming massive voter fraud in key states. After extensive scrutiny, none of the claims has proven true.
The current efforts to overturn an election, reminded me of the one time in American history when duly elected officials were removed from office in a violent coup by white supremacists in Wilmington, NC on November 10, 1898. At that time, Wilmington was the largest city in North Carolina and had a majority black population. For several years, a “Fusion” government of black and white Republicans along with white Populists held power in Wilmington and throughout North Carolina. Yet as Reconstruction gave way to the renewed influence by white supremacist Southern Democrats, a plot was formed to overthrow the Fusion government of Wilmington. For much of 1898, white supremacists rallied their base in preparation for the coup. Alfred Waddell who was a main leader and speaker for the supremacists uttered what would become the most famous quote from this tragic chapter, “We will never surrender to a ragged raffle of Negroes, even if we have to choke the Cape Fear River with carcasses.” As the result of the coup, Waddell was installed as mayor of Wilmington. On the fateful day of November 10, white mobs rampaged through the black neighborhoods destroying homes and businesses while shooting unarmed black people with rifles and a Gatling gun. Estimates of those killed ranges between 60-300. Many others were wounded and thousands of black people were driven into the nearby swamps to escape the violence. In one day, Wilmington went from a majority black to a majority white city. Although black leaders appealed to the the federal government for help, there was no response. The coup was “successful” and Alfred Waddell remained as mayor until 1905. The experience of a multi-racial Fusion government was crushed, and Jim Crow segregation deepened for generations.
Thankfully the current efforts to overturn election results does not include a racist violent coup. Yet the attempts to overturn the election by invalidating large numbers of votes has definite racial overtones, because the record voter turnout by people of color was a key factor in the results. My hope and prayer for our country at this crucial time is that Instead of wasting time promoting conspiracy theories of voter fraud, may we find a way forward to form a new multi-racial “fusion” of people from all races and political perspectives that will work together to advance liberty and justice for all.
