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12 Apr Italian American News
Mayor LaToya Cantrell issues proclamation of apology for Italian lynching in 1891
The American Italian Cultural Center, Commission of Social Justice, and the Order Sons of Italy coordinated the event.
Michael Santo of the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy says the lynching in 1891, where 11 Italian immigrants were killed after acquittals in a police chief’s murder, and responses to it prompted Italy to close its embassy in the U.S., followed by a reciprocal U.S. Embassy closing in Italy.
The Committee on Safety ran an advertisement in the local papers that called for a mass meeting at the Henry Clay statue in the middle of Canal St.
A crowd of thousands gathered and were further incensed by a speech by a local attorney before marching off to the nearby jail. The mob found and murdered eleven of the Italians.
He says that when representatives asked the city earlier this year for an apology, Cantrell embraced the idea. He says she appointed Human Relations Commission head Vincenzo Pasquantonio as liaison.
By Chris Finch | April 12, 2019 | Copyright 2019 WVUE.
