Outrage in Rockland: The Lynching of Howard Cooper

The aftermath of Reconstruction was a time of political and social upheaval in the US and in Maryland. This film tells the story of Howard Cooper, of Baltimore County, whose life was caught up in the turmoil of the times and who became the victim of a racial terror lynching in Towson in 1885.

[@pizzyg]

Never heard of this story. Interesting. Keep shining a light on these stories.

[@outdoorman7425]

I too have never heard of this story but I wound describe it as TRAGIC/HORRIFYING, not as 'interesting'.

[@frederickgriffith7004]

I once asked one of my great grandfathers,who was born in 1874,what it felt like being a Black man in nineteenth century America. He said for Blacks and Native Americans it was brutal.He said the mentality at that time from mostly White law enforcement, judges and elected officials was that Blacks and Native Americans deserved to die.And that some White civilians just followed their lead.It was like living on pins and needles so you avoided interacting with Whites unless absolutely necessary. He said Blacks realized that if the government could kill Native Americans with impunity, the same thing could happen to Blacks. He used to joke that if that were to happen, who would do the cheap labor, sharecropping and work on the chain gangs?The poor White Folks.

[@geekmeee]

Can you say? Incite

[@michelej9496]

Frederick Griffith that mentality hasn't changed. There's nothing new under the sun.

[@EdwardM-t8p]

And then of course the authorities and the "respectable, good Christian people" would unalive off the poor whites. And then who would do the cheap labor?

[@bridgettkinner205]

Give his parents, siblings and their offspring Mr.Cooper's reparations!!!...justly deserved..POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!!!!

[@Bumper776]

Reparations? For what? He was a violent criminal who was removed from a civil society.

[@Bulvan123]

Who should pay these reparations?

[@harrowgateguy]

The newspaper stories did not state his age. Important to note the bias of old media reports. Were any people ever charged with participating in this or any other lynchings?

[@mdlynchingmemorialproject3891]

In the press, his age was variously reported to be anywhere from 19 to 25 years old. No one was ever charged with this or any other lynching in Maryland.

[@freethinkinmelanin6795]

Do you see how hard it is for white people to get charged today for violence against black people??? You see how they handled the predominantly white crowd on Jan 6 in 2021, what do you think they were doing over 100 years ago. That shit was business as usual and par for the course. Them people didn't even bat an eye.

[@THE1804SHOWCHAPTERTWO]

@@mdlynchingmemorialproject3891 He was 15

[@doctordef324]

Interesting fact: Lynchings were predominantly of women and young black men 18 to 24 years old..... youth... they went after youths and women!!!!!!

[@sueroyer6101]

Truth first. This is such important work.

[@kennethdogan5063]

)lkkkkjjj L M Ll

[@Rahsim]

We seemed to have always been entertainment in this country, no matter how old. It’s beyond words

[@Larrywhite00]

Lol. Sing me a song and show me a little dance. Hahahaha

[@earlinebeaman684]

yep. they are the wickedest race of people i've ever known.

[@zestcres]

He was 15....years old!!!...dark history!

[@504WildMagnolia]

Who knows….he even may have been diagnosed as autistic by today standard

[@perfumep7730]

Very upsetting …..

[@arthurseymorejr.3606]

If I had to guess the young lady probably made a pass at him and he turned her down and she makes up a story of the young man accosting her which leads to his demise . This type of thing has happened plenty of times over the years , like George Stinny and Emmitt Till . The killing of Blacks in the town of Rosewood , Florida and the killing of more Blacks in the Black Wall St area of Oklahoma .

[@robertwright4220]

My issue with this story is how does a fifteen year old kid or any black man in the late 19 century develop a reputation for being a harasser! He also allegedly admitted to attacking her, what is the story surrounding that... Yes, he was denied due process as many black males are, but if any of the above is true, I do not feel sorry for him.

[@auditoneusa747]

@6:19 “He admits that he attacked Gray” Knowing the dangers of the times why in the heck did he attack her? Even if the girl flirts, you ignore it and run far far away. Was he slow mentally?

[@robertwright4220]

@@auditoneusa747 It could have been coerced just like they have forced confessions in recent times! There’s too much about this that doesn’t make sense but at the end of the day we can probably agree he should not have been killed

[@barryhollon468]

Yeah I’m sure that’s what happened.

[@deloreswillis9224]

Oh my JESUS A MERE CHILD!!😢

[@doctordef324]

The boy refused the girl and she flipped out into a fit of rage!!! The End..

[@Bumper776]

LOL!!! Yeah, right!

[@jacobzaranyika9334]

The lynching was always in full view of the world - doing or saying nothing about it. We are going back to that time.

[@GodFearingGoddess]

Another sad one and yet we live in this same world today 2021. I am so tired of this racists shit it’s not even funny. I have 6 sons that I have to worry about not with just the white race but with my own race as well. It makes me sick to my stomach.

[@earlinebeaman684]

Just think if they were 6 girls. Your heart would literally bleed. They will have a little privilege being males but the female has none. She is hated all day the world over.

[@deloreswillis9224]

Amen. Sayyyyy that

[@johnboy4067]

I'm not sure what putting a bit of soil in a jar will achieve 🤔

[@jessehowell8423]

Black people are Spiritual in Nature. It is how they connect with the Spirit of the Youth that was Lynched.

[@kanieraliapeng724]

Remembrance and symbolism, you dvmb@$$

[@neferzoe]

Sunday never bothered them before.

[@lotoniam]

Same old script

[@deloreswillis9224]

Absolutely it NEVER CHANGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@doctordef324]

​@@deloreswillis9224that ain't flying these days!!! Most are on edge already!!!! And angry!!

[@gigwgt]

Didn’t this same thing happen to George Armwood?

[@mostlynoble]

How did I know this was going to boil down to a white woman......

[@sheresecoleman6463]

Always a white woman and a lie! Never fails

[@deloreswillis9224]

Every FREAKIN TIME SMH

[@Bumper776]

They are often the victims of sex-crazed thugs.

[@nickeeche]

Why didn’t this get played on MPT?? This needs more attention as does the rest of those who have been lynched in Maryland. It’s a big deal make it make noise so people can know the history of those in Towson in 1855. I mean not much has changed if they could they would. Always some BS lingering unresolved this was someone’s kids another deny until they die. God Bless his loved ones past and present this had to be very difficult for his Mother.

[@elchoya8432]

what was the jar of earth for at the end?

[@acnj228]

4000 right the number is way higher than that

[@frederickgriffith7004]

Yes. If I go by family accounts so many Black men, women and children simply disappeared. In a lot of these States, The authorities simply did not give a sh*t.If members from the Black community pleaded with the sheriff or the mayor or the governor for help in investigating the disappearance of a loved one the reply was usually the person was a runaway if it was a child. As for a Black man or woman, abandonment of family. One family member recalls a local White Sheriff telling him straight up that Blacks should have been content with being someone else's property because at least they would still have protection. After all why would a White man destroy his own property. And of course that same White man would object to someone else destroying his property. Yes.Add at least another zero to that number. Most States literally were given the license to kill any people they wanted. Up to 1964,the federal government had the option to intervene on moral grounds but not legal grounds. It wasn't until legislation was created to force them to do so and thus the threat of constant laws suits and prosecutions that would have bankrupted the entire government. As the saying goes, money talks.Bulls*t walks. On more than one occasion if an elder was asked what happened to their brother, sister, uncle,cousin, etc they would say they didn't know. I mean wow.I know it's the past but damn. And the fact that so many people had to live with that type of pain anger and injustice. And on top of that society often implied that these same people should feel guilty and ashamed of their very existence. This country has such a wicked history. And its victims are led to believe that they are the wicked ones. Talk about reverse psychology.

[@tarugardiner4287]

Love one another people , life is short , do not be consumed by others hate and mis deeds , some beings just have not evolved and do not understand them selves nor the world .

[@respecttheface7152]

Go fund me 1800s style

[@ladarrylemccalpin]

Shit still goes on today nothing has changed unfortunately

[@barryhollon468]

Where does this still happen today ? Don’t be foolish.

[@ladarrylemccalpin]

@@barryhollon468 Amaud Arbery was lynched last year in case you've forgot

[@ladarrylemccalpin]

@@barryhollon468 George Floyd was murdered on camera. Do I need to go on?

[@ladarrylemccalpin]

@@barryhollon468 You're one of those people who don't see racism. I'm not going to sit here and argue with you I got better things to do

[@barryhollon468]

@@ladarrylemccalpin then why did ya answer in the first place.