1ST OFFICIAL OBSERVANCE OF 1887 RACIAL ATROCITY WILL INCLUDE BISHOP-LED MASS

During the first-ever official commemoration of a racial atrocity that occurred in Louisiana 130 years ago, descendants of victims will attend a solemn memorial mass celebrated by the region’s Roman Catholic bishop, and hold a gathering that will include a traditional second-line procession.

The City of Thibodaux and the parish of Lafourche have both declared Thurs., Nov. 23, the anniversary of the what has come to be called the “Thibodaux Massacre” as “1887 Memorial Day,” with a moment of silence to be observed at Noon. On Nov. 23, 1887 two white sentries were shot by unknown persons during a time of tension related to a strike of sugar cane laborers in two Louisiana parishes, who took shelter in Thibodaux after being evicted from plantations by the state militia. White mobs took to the streets during a two-hour shooting spree, resulting in the deaths of between 30 and 60 black people with more wounded. A precise death toll has never been established.

The Most Rev. Shelton J. Fabre, Bishop of the Houma-Thibodaux Diocese, chose to celebrate a special memorial mass — although Nov. 23 is also Thanksgiving Day — after learning of the city’s proclamation. The mass will be celebrated at St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church. Descendants of Jack Conrad, a man wounded in the violence, whose 19-year-old son Grant was killed, are gathering at the church community center for a reunion and commemoration.

“The dead aren’t gone until they are not remembered and forgotten by the living,” Bishop Fabre said in a statement released Sunday.”As the Thibodaux community on November 23rd remembers those who were killed 130 years ago in the violence of the Thibodaux Massacre, we will offer a Memorial Mass for their eternal rest and peace. As we remember and honor them, may we also remember that violence is never an answer to any of the challenges that we face as we continue to strive to achieve greater racial harmony and peace.”

The dead — and the incident overall — were nearly forgotten until History Press, of Charleston, S.C. published “The Thibodaux Massacre: Racial Violence and the 1887 Sugar Cane Labor Strike” in 2016, shocking many people in the town who had never heard of it. While the book was in production its author, John DeSantis, was able to determine that Jack Conrad had living descendants in New Orleans and Thibodaux. They were not aware of Jack Conrad or the event.

The family of Conrad has been active in a drive by the Louisiana 1887 Memorial Committee, a non-profit organized by DeSantis, to verify if a Thibodaux lot is the place where, as oral history maintains, massacre victims were dumped. The University of Louisiana Lafayette Public Archeology Lab plans to do the on-site exploration. The committee has been quietly working to aid all segments of the community, black and white, to work together toward their goal, hoping to heal race relations, which were damaged by the event but which the telling of its story threatened to make worse.

Last month Thibodaux Mayor Tommy Eschete issued a proclamation condemning the violence, also declaring Nov. 23 as a day of remembrance. Last week, the Lafourche Parish Council issued a similar proclamation, requested by Councilman Jerry Jones.

Jack Conrad’s descendants and DeSantis were present at both meetings.

“For the spiritual shepherd of this area’s Catholics to perform this memorial mass is a blessing for both the living and the dead,” DeSantis said. “As we continue raising funds required to verify the presence of victims and respectfully honor their earthly remains, there is comfort in knowing that this kind and generous church leader is seeing to the repose of their souls.”

Wiletta Ferdinand of New Orleans, a retired educator and great-great-granddaughter of Jack Conrad, helped organize the family commemoration.

“It is very important to us that the Catholic church is recognizing the Thibodaux Massacre. St. Luke’s has always been a family parish,” she said.

Moved by the bishop’s decision to say the memorial mass, she said she is looking forward to meeting him.

“He is our newest advocate,” she said. “He is our angel. When I learned this I was elated that a real live Bishop would think enough of our ancestors to acknowledge this tragedy. Then I thought how proud my grandmother would be. She was also a devout Catholic.” •

EDITOR’s NOTE: John De- Santis is the senior staff writer at The Times.

Sylvester Jackson and Baron Jackson, great-grandson and great-great-grandson of Thibodaux Massacre survivor Jack Conrad, at the Lafourche Parish Council chamber. The Council declared Nov. 23 “1887 Memorial Day” at the request of Councilman Jerry Jones.

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