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Take time attend events marking Nov. 3, 1979

Monday, November 2, 2009
(Updated 2:05 am)

On Nov. 3, 1979, a Klan-Nazi organization came to Greensboro to confront the Communist Workers Party, a group of labor organizers seeking better working conditions.

 No police were present as the two groups came together, and violence broke out as Klansmen brought out weapons and began shooting. Five unarmed CWP workers were killed and a number of others were wounded.

About three years ago the Greensboro Truth & Reconciliation Commission completed its thorough 525-page report on that event. Public meetings followed on the findings of the commission; the report was part of college, university and high school curricula and neighborhoods were encouraged to seek ways for community-building.

This year, public events are scheduled for Nov. 4-7 to remember this event of 30 years ago, and most importantly, to seek a future of reconciliation for Greensboro.

Programs will include the stories of witnesses, cultural events, panel discussions and well-known keynote speakers. For details, contact the Beloved Community Center, 417 Arlington St.

The program offers healing for our past and hope for a stronger and welcoming city to all who come here. Don’t miss this watershed moment for Greensboro.

Jean Rodenbough
Greensboro

Comments

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brian444

November 2, 2009 - 3:43 am EST

Due to prior commitments on Nov. 4-7, I will be unable to partake of this watershed moment for Greensboro and the opportunity for healing our past and the hope for a stronger and welcoming city to all who come here that the stories of witnesses, cultural events, panel discussions and well-known keynote speakers promise to deliver. If it weren't for these prior commitments, you can bet your bottom dollar that I would be contacting the Beloved Community Center at 417 Arlington St. for more information.

J Peterman Reality Tour

November 2, 2009 - 8:28 am EST

WHY are we STILL talking about this? The city said "they regret" everything that ever happened . . . sooooo . . . whats left to heal? I wished thay had all died . . . so much trash in the world.

neocon

November 2, 2009 - 5:38 am EST

LOL. What a joke. The communists...ahem...'the group dedicated to improvement in working conditions for all of us'...dared the klan to show up and when they did, they got their asses kicked. End of story. The rest is spin.

jackhartjj

November 2, 2009 - 8:53 am EST

Neocon, you forgot the part about the commies not letting the police know exactly where this was to happen at!
To the letter writer you would be well served finding out exactly what happened...not what nelson johnson wants you to think happened in his quest to 'whitewash' this incident! By the way ,he was cowering under a car when the shooting was going on!

neocon

November 2, 2009 - 10:17 am EST

You're right, then to dig their own hole a little deeper, the "T" & R commission laid the blame for their komrades' deaths at the feet of the GPD.

If it weren't for the internet and other alternate news sources, they would have gotten away with it too. At the time this happened, the national 'news' media showed a little of the grainy black and white film footage of the shootout with very little comment on the details, then later after the trials they simply said the "klan/nazis had been acquitted". Again with very little elaboration.

Now we have Ms. Rodenbough trying to rewrite history with her rosy version of the events by making the communists out to be the heroes. It's almost laughable, but I imagine her version is what is being pushed in the public zoo system.

J.M.W.

November 2, 2009 - 11:19 am EST

The klansmen's lawyers were losing this one until they reached into their stuffed pockets and waved the flag in front of the jury. It then became the U.S.A. vs. the U.S.S.R (cuba, oswald, the n&r, etc.) And before anyone could say Andy "Griffin," the klan was acquitted. Both parties were guilty as hell. The only people that want to keep it alive are hoping for free food and interbreeding connections.

wctbl?

November 2, 2009 - 12:14 pm EST

Ass.

Badgolfer1

November 2, 2009 - 5:01 pm EST

I am sure you meant asinine. Hopefully JMW or even Jean Rodenbough will seek to learn more about the events that happened on Nov. 3, 1979 such as who were Allen and Dori Blitz.

JGALT

November 2, 2009 - 7:38 am EST

The Communist Worker's Party challenged an out of town ku klux klan group with a "Death to the Klan" march, staged in Morningside Homes. This was an attempt by mostly out of town white communists to incite a racial response-- it didn't work. The CWP fired first. Read the transcript of the trial. Neither group belonged in Greensboro. That is the truth. No reconciliation is necessary. The only downside 30 years later is it deprived the Obama administration of some potential job candidates.

danagain

November 2, 2009 - 8:05 am EST

"...to remember this event of 30 years ago, and most importantly, to seek a future of reconciliation for Greensboro."

I thought the TRC already gave everyone reconciliation a few years ago.

"The program offers healing for our past and hope for a stronger and welcoming city to all who come here."

I'm sure that's a major factor if someone decides to move to Greensboro.

brian444

November 2, 2009 - 8:19 am EST

Well, I think we're all reconciled to the fact that we're going to be bludgeoned by remembrance into the foreseeable future.

danagain

November 2, 2009 - 9:13 am EST

Another 30 years perhaps?

brian444

November 2, 2009 - 3:49 pm EST

Oh, at least. Actually, I kind of find these clowns to be incandescently but endearingly comical. The same 14 people who cared about this 3 years ago will be the same 14 who show up for their tedious "public events" this go round, and yet they will continue to believe that, if properly advertised and remembranced, the worker's paradise of reconciliation and truth will gain mass traction.

And Yvonne, no one's forcing me not to make fun of these folks either.

Yvonne

November 2, 2009 - 9:22 am EST

No one is forcing anyone to get involved in anything to do with the Klan/CWP. In fact, no one is forcing anyone to read any letters about the incident. The letter writer invited folks who wanted to participate to do so. If that is not any of you, what's your beef?

jackhartjj

November 2, 2009 - 10:26 am EST

Yvonne, I guess my question is why are we still celebrating this crap?
Why even have an event that brings it up?
The folks that seem to want it brought up are the ones that were there...let's see, commies, nazis, and KKK idiots! The type that most of us would not be caught dead with!
As to me...I have to keep the record straight as to what happened.
Everyone want us to believe that the KKK and nazis came into town looking for a fight with the commies that were trying to 'make working conditions in the textile mills better'. (The commies invited the klan and nazis to a "Death to the klan" march! Let tell you about that, my former mother-in-law worked for Bates Nightwear, which became Gerber Babywear. She made very good money on the 'peicework' plan. There came the union. Guess what...within weeks they said, "Oh no, we can't have folsk making a lot of money when others not as fast can't make as much." The peicework rate was slashed. Guess what, it wasn't long before Gerber was gone. Thanks union!
Others keep saying that the police did not show up. They tried, the commies changed the site and did not tell the police.

JGALT

November 2, 2009 - 11:08 am EST

My beef is that it is dishonest to attempt to present the CWP as the MORAL EQUIVALENT of "labor organizers seeking better working conditions". The CWP callously put lives at risk trying to exploit a Morningside Homes location. They organized the event and they are responsible for the consequences. Fortunately those responsible were held accountable (except for Nelson Johnson- he should have been charged criminally and sued personally for the cost to the city). If people who know the truth don't counter this political revisionism, we're liable to wind up with a government...

TheSeeker

November 2, 2009 - 5:56 pm EST

That horse is dead! We're tired of hearing about it. If they want to be stuck in the past and keep digging at it then fine. But don't try to drag it out on display again so some Pastor can try to make a name for himself. I thought the "church" was allabout forgiving? How long does that take?

ghost from white oak

November 2, 2009 - 9:30 am EST

If you decide to attend, don't forget to wear your "rose colored glasses". But,then if you're going you would already be wearing them.

flight105

November 3, 2009 - 12:35 am EST

Don't you mean "RED colored glasses"?

truth

November 2, 2009 - 3:38 pm EST

Four of the five people who died from gunshot wounds sustained that day were white. That's something you never, ever hear about. The race-baiters would have people believe that a bunch of klansmen killed a bunch of black folk for no reason. I'd bet if you polled the folks in Nelson Johnson's pews, they wouldn't know that.

Whatever, the reason, people are shot and killed every day in this country for stupid reasons. This is no exception and doesn't merit the attention it receives.

danagain

November 2, 2009 - 6:27 pm EST

Marcos Chavez Gonzalez shot and killed four people in Mt. Airy over the weekend.

I'm sure in 2039 there will be public events scheduled to remember this event of 30 years ago, and most importantly, to seek a future of reconciliation for Mt. Airy. Programs will likely include the stories of witnesses, cultural events, panel discussions and well-known keynote speakers.

It will likely be in English and español to boot ;--)

Beachwalk

November 2, 2009 - 9:47 pm EST

Let's see, Nov. 4-7?
Nope, I can't make it. I am going to schedule a root canal on each of those days. I really don't need any root canals, but three unnecessary root canals would be much more fun and productive.

Yvonne

November 2, 2009 - 10:40 pm EST

What most of you missed is the difference between celebration and commemoration. Much of what our nation commemorates is death and destruction. If anyone wants to be involved in this sort of event, that is their's to choose. You may not agree but it is not up to any of you to disallow others.

danagain

November 2, 2009 - 10:51 pm EST

Ah c'mon Yvonne, no one is advocating that anyone not attend this event if they choose, just the distortion of the letter, as has been duly noted. Are you going to be around in 2039 to attend the 30 year Mt. Airy commemoration?

Katbyrd

November 3, 2009 - 6:52 am EST

After reading all comments posted, it is still abundantly clear that the glossed over version is still being perpetuated to this day. Why can't the African American community realize that they were pawns in this whole fiasco? One out of town group (CWP) inviting another out of town group (KKK/Nazi) to come to Greensboro for a confrontation. And things went south from there...but you let a few people like Nelson Johnson and company tell lies and create a whole new version of what happened and the whole world is seeing THAT version --- NOT the "truth". This whole scene could have happened in Winston-Salem, High Point, or Charlotte. IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH GREENSBORO as a city. This city continues to deteriorate from the wonderful town it used to be when I was growing up. I cannot wait to move away from here when I retire.

jackhartjj

November 3, 2009 - 7:52 am EST

Katbyrd...you said it about as well as its been said!

getthefacts

November 3, 2009 - 9:41 am EST

The full story of Nov. 3 has been well documented in Codename Greenkil by Elizabeth Wheaton. There is a new paperback edition which includes a penetrating look at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission which should be available through B&N and Borders, as well as Amazon.

Interesting that the N&R hasn't bothered to mention it in all the hoopla about the commemoration.

Katbyrd

November 3, 2009 - 1:19 pm EST

Thanks, getthefacts. I didn't know about this book, but will be sure to go out and get it, IF I can stomach reading about it all over again....and again.... and again.... and every year going forward.

9mmjustice

November 3, 2009 - 10:24 pm EST

The video of Nelson Johnson surrounded by children just before the confrontation asks a question- why wasn't this communist charged with depraved indifference, or at least reckless endangerment?

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