To the editor:

My initial response was to ignore the letter to the editor from the Friends of Nathan B. Forrest. The letter was incredulous and pathetic. Unfortunately, however, many people believe the absurd. For 400 years, many decent white people believed that chattel slavery suffered by enslaved Africans was “not so bad.” This attitude continues to define the mission and belief system of the Friends of Forrest. If it is not challenged, it will continue to miss-educate and diminish our children and their future. Consequently, I offer this reply.

Nathan B. Forrest was an enslaver of people created by the same God that created him. GOD made all human beings in his image. To dehumanize a people because of their color is ungodly and uncivilized behavior. Enslaved Africans were not allowed to read, speak their language, practice their religion, or marry. Black women, including black girls as young as nine of age, could be raped at will by anyone, especially white men. Forrest was also a member of the Ku Klux Klan. The terror of the Klan is akin to the Bin Ladens of the world. Hundreds of people were hung, raped, castrated and burned alive in the name of white supremacy. These acts of inhumanity sometimes took place in front of little white children with little or no compassion or remorse demonstrated. By some accounts 40 to 80 million Africans lost their lives because of slavery.

Indeed, Annie Cooper told me how her great, great grandmother, a victim of legal rape, was moved to beat her enslaver when she caught him raping his own daughter, born of their forced union. This savage behavior, however, has been romanticized. The perpetrators and supporters of American chattel slavery (the worse in the history of mankind) have been lifted as heroes, when in fact they are domestic terrorists.

In spite of their best efforts, Black people excel whenever the playing field is leveled. They are afraid to level the field in education because they know we will equally excel and lay bare the lie about black inferiority created to rationalize 400 years of unchristian and uncivilized behavior.

In spite of Nathan’s demonic role in American history, his prototypes in spirit have the right to place a monument to him on private property. They initially chose, however, to place it on public property and when it was moved, they sued the city and cost the city over $200,000. Of course, true to the attitude of their ancestors they don’t see that as financially irresponsible. They find comfort in blaming the mayor, who happens to be black. When over a million dollars was allegedly stolen during the Smitherman Administration, they remained appallingly quiet. They most certainly have the right to place a billboard about Nathan on private property. I believe their right must be protected. The First Amendment to the Constitution is our most effective weapon against racial tyranny in this nation. Therefore, we must fight for the right of every one, including the Klan, to engage in free speech and peaceful protest. The fire bombings of vehicles at our law office and burning of the radio station were not peaceful protest.

Lastly, I didn’t see the billboard until last week. Indeed, few people saw the billboard until I brought it to their attention. Revealingly, it reads, “Keep um Skeer.”

The Klan was founded to keep black and white folk “scared.” Apparently that remains the goal of the friends of Forrest. The racial division in this community rests on fear and misinformation. Someone has to be made the “devil or the bad girl.” I am an easy target but I will not back down. These people are afraid of the truth.

They are afraid that the masses of people, black and white will learn the truth about people like Nathan B. Forrest. But only the truth will set us free and end racial division. I pray that people who seek truth and good will for all people of Selma will reject domestic terrorists with the same passion we reject and resist international terrorists. Concomitantly, we must place people in office irrespective of race who genuinely try to uplift the whole community.

Faya Rose Toure

aka Rose Sanders