It is Difficult to Speak and Impossible to Keep Silent. Learning from a memorial in Duluth

 

As a pastor I learned long ago that keeping secrets in families can be toxic. Secrets can develop a power that they don’t deserve. They undermine trust.  I remember a long time ago talking to a woman who didn’t learn until her late 20’s that abuse had happened in her family. It didn’t happen to her. But no one ever talked about it. She didn’t know and was devastated to learn the information. 

Faith communities have lost credibility with the public because they have held onto secrets. Protestant and Catholic churches kept secrets about abusive pastors. Their unwillingness to talk about these horrible acts added even more pain to the original abuse.

 Coming to terms with our past is hard—but necessary.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit a memorial in Duluth that remembers the lynching of Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson, and Isaac Mc Ghie. These African-American men were circus workers. Rumors had circulated that a nineteen-year old Caucasian woman had been raped. Clayton, Jackson, and Mc Ghie were jailed on suspicions that they committed the rape.  On June 15, 1920 a mob came to the jail, and hung the three. 

A Memorial page tells the story in more complete detail. That link is here.

web.archive.org/web/20060206062252/http://claytonjacksonmcghie.org/index.php

 A Wikipedia page has also been set up that tells the story. That link is here. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duluth_lynchings

 I had a chance to visit the Memorial when my family spent a Friday and Saturday in Duluth. The Memorial was beautifully set up with a story of what happened, quotes from many peace activists, and a quote on the top that said, “It is difficult to speak and impossible to remain silent.” 

It was humbling to turn around and see the corner where three men were hung. 

I have spent most of my life in Minnesota. I went to school in Worthington, Minnesota and attended college in Northfield, Minnesota. I love the state of Minnesota and expound on its qualities when I talk to people from other states. When I attended seminary in New York City I set up a display outside of my room called, “The Minnesota corner.” I put up articles about Minnesota—its wonderful qualities and its foibles. 

Despite my love for Minnesota, I am still astounded that I never learned about the lynching of Clayton, Jackson, and Mc Ghie until I was in my mid 40’s. No one ever taught me about the incident in schools or college; I never heard a media report. It was like a secret of our state. 

Fortunately this Memorial brings out into the open this horrific event. This event needs to be taught in all schools. We can’t come to terms with our past by keeping secret the parts of our past that are very painful. 

Since the murder of George Floyd in May, 2020, people in the state of Minnesota and the United States have had many conversations on the topic of race. In my experience at some point these conversations turn to slavery. I’ve heard many of my Caucasian friends say, “why do we still have to talk about slavery. That happened so long ago. When are we going to move on?”

I don’t know when we as a country will move on. But what I do know that we haven’t moved on from this horror. Slavery certainly isn’t a secret, but it’s part of our history that is difficult to talk about. Having one memorial that remembers what happened is not the answer. But trying to move on when many haven’t moved on is also not the answer.

I’m grateful for this Memorial in Duluth. It brings out into open a painful part of our past—one that we can never forget.