Martyrs

Author

W.E.B. Du Bois

Published

December 1, 1920

Three years ago December 11, at 7:17 in the morning, thirteen American Negro soldiers were murdered on the scaffold by the American government to satisfy the bloodlust of Texas on account of the Houston riot. This was bad enough; but in addition to this there are today languishing in the United States Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kan., 56 colored men sentenced to life imprisonment and 5 men sentenced to imprisonment for 15 years, all for the same alleged offence. This shameful injustice is a trumpet call to every American Negro and we should never rest until these men are pardoned and freed,—

Lord, these are Thine who pay the price
For what a freeman’s soul is worth,—
Whose madness is their sacrifice
That what they love may live on earth!
Lord these are Thine!

Citation

For attribution, please cite this work as:
Du Bois, W.E.B. 1920. “Martyrs.” The Crisis 21 (2): 57. https://www.dareyoufight.org/Volumes/21/02/martyrs.html.