Greensboro Massacre: Remembering a 1979 Moral Moment

From slave patrols to lynchings to last week’s assault on the US Capitol, police-enabled, racist attacks are nothing new in the US. One of these was the 1979 Greensboro Massacre in which five anti-racist organizers were killed by Klan and Nazi gunmen, abetted by local police. This month, a panel of survivors previewed a 20-minute documentary of the Massacre and summarized insights and lessons from the experience.

Remembering a 1979 Moral Moment opens with a 20-minute documentary about the Massacre followed by panel including Roz Pelles, Paul Bermanzohn, Mary Nathan and Joyce Johnson.

‘If the story is not told, then the country suffers. Because this will happen again.’

Roz Pelles

Our quarantine situation, and the shift to virtual events, makes it easier than ever to tell this story. And it could not be more vital at this moment. People are home and yearning for connection and conversations through such programs.

In this critical moment, it’s important to remember this history: how brave the Greensboro Five were, and how committed their comrades were to making a more equitable society. This history should motivate us to organize and reach out in our communities to address inequality. Above all, we must make the Massacre and its lessons have an impact on the youth who are leading us toward better tomorrows.