Sadly, this has been the case so often with Blacks and other people of color. However, it is important that these stories are uncovered and the truth be told. Thank you Brandon for bringing this ugly part of U.S. History to light. Sometimes it causes one to wonder how much has changed when we think of Sandra Bland, Michael, Breona Taylor, George Floyd, Tamir Rice and many others.
The author served as a bright light that shine on the significance of Fred Rouse’s story. After reading this piece, I felt a gamut of emotions. Being a black male, you automatically see yourself as Fred Rouse and internalize the pain. It is tough to hold that weight especially when there is a modern-day continuation of the evil under current that existed back then. However, my emotional pendulum swings towards hope and hangs there because of the wonderful work that DNAWORKS is doing to jump start the healing process. It is so cool to see how the community is supporting the movement and the message. One major takeaway that I will hold is the fact that Fred Rouse sacrificed his life despite the civil unrest, work conditions, and hatred towards him in effort to provide for his family. It reinforces the undeniable strength that we can tap into and how that strength has the potential to cascade across generations to come. Thank you, Brandon, DNAWORKS, and all the contributors for bringing Fred Rouse’s story to life. Thank you Fred Rouse for living your life in such a way that impacts us almost 100 years later!
I don’t often read TCU Magazine cover to cover, but this story was riveting and illuminating. I applaud Adam McKinney’s work, the community working alongside him, and TCU Magazine for the feature storytelling, which was so well done. Bringing buried history to light and asking hard questions about our role in the present times make me hopeful for TCU’s and Fort Worth’s future. Keep up this important work.
As a Fort Worth native and graduate of TCU, it’s gratifying to see that TCU, with its own historical challenges around issues of race, has joined in the progressive movement to bring to light parts of our local history that don’t fit the narrative of rich Southern traditions and colorful folklore. Those who oppose “critical race theory” would rather that truths like these be omitted from history curricula. Somewhere in civil discourse, the basic concept of teaching ALL our history gets lost in the misrepresentation and distortion of the term. The famous quote by George Santayana continues to ring true– “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” The key principle is that we will only make progress as we remember and learn from the errors of our past. I applaud the efforts of all involved in this project to bring more stories like these to light.
Excuse me, this was not a lynching. This was a labor-related murder, like many others that occurred during the bitter labor battles of the early 1900s. A lynching has long been defined as a summary execution by a mob of a person accused of a crime. Mr Rouse was not accused of a crime. He was in the unfortunate position of being identified as a strikebreaker, or, in the ugly slang of the time, a “scab.” Member of all races ran the risk of being brutalized by the striking employees who bitterly resented their enabling the bosses to break the strike.
I am surprised that your history department is so craven and submissive as to bow down before this dubious exercise in wokeness. I am dismayed to find my great university engaging in this flagellation of our city. Look elsewhere if you want to shame Fort Worth. The bitter irony is that the Great Liberal Cause would never have deified a strikebreaker, but that was when they cared about the labor movement; now all they care about is creating and exploiting racial division.
The whole Summer issue of the magazine was an attempt to drag our beloved university into the ranks of the libelers and attackers of America. As a graduate of TCU who majored in both journalism and history, I am doubly astonished by the journalistic and historical blindness illustrated by this episode.
Hello, and I hope all is well! Did you really read the article? It does not seem so based on your comments; this did happen in 1921 and a history major, as you say, you should know just how your response sounds rather ridiculous. Have a great day!
Thank you for this article. Whatever you want to call it, this was murder, and the suspects were not brought to justice. All so horrible. Fred just needed to work, provide for his family, what a position he was placed in-work and face harassment/death or don’t work and his family go hungry and suffer. I think of his widow, her suffering. His children, their suffering. All because some men could not control their anger and work things out w a positive outcome. This article upsets me at how man can be so evil. Check yourself in your emotion, in your actions. Be love, not hateful. And I cannot even understand how the KKK existed! A hate group? Why! I hope this story grows love and understanding beyond belief! Speaking truth in love always! God bless the Rouse family!
Wow. Thank you for taking the time to masterfully tell this important story and history. As Kyev was quoted in sayin, “The way he died and the way the city just ignored it is indicative of the fact that people are still fighting for justice.” I hope this serves a call to face the truth and continue to the fight in FW and beyound.
Your comments are welcome
9 Comments
Sadly, this has been the case so often with Blacks and other people of color. However, it is important that these stories are uncovered and the truth be told. Thank you Brandon for bringing this ugly part of U.S. History to light. Sometimes it causes one to wonder how much has changed when we think of Sandra Bland, Michael, Breona Taylor, George Floyd, Tamir Rice and many others.
David Phillips, New York City
The author served as a bright light that shine on the significance of Fred Rouse’s story. After reading this piece, I felt a gamut of emotions. Being a black male, you automatically see yourself as Fred Rouse and internalize the pain. It is tough to hold that weight especially when there is a modern-day continuation of the evil under current that existed back then. However, my emotional pendulum swings towards hope and hangs there because of the wonderful work that DNAWORKS is doing to jump start the healing process. It is so cool to see how the community is supporting the movement and the message. One major takeaway that I will hold is the fact that Fred Rouse sacrificed his life despite the civil unrest, work conditions, and hatred towards him in effort to provide for his family. It reinforces the undeniable strength that we can tap into and how that strength has the potential to cascade across generations to come. Thank you, Brandon, DNAWORKS, and all the contributors for bringing Fred Rouse’s story to life. Thank you Fred Rouse for living your life in such a way that impacts us almost 100 years later!
I don’t often read TCU Magazine cover to cover, but this story was riveting and illuminating. I applaud Adam McKinney’s work, the community working alongside him, and TCU Magazine for the feature storytelling, which was so well done. Bringing buried history to light and asking hard questions about our role in the present times make me hopeful for TCU’s and Fort Worth’s future. Keep up this important work.
As a Fort Worth native and graduate of TCU, it’s gratifying to see that TCU, with its own historical challenges around issues of race, has joined in the progressive movement to bring to light parts of our local history that don’t fit the narrative of rich Southern traditions and colorful folklore. Those who oppose “critical race theory” would rather that truths like these be omitted from history curricula. Somewhere in civil discourse, the basic concept of teaching ALL our history gets lost in the misrepresentation and distortion of the term. The famous quote by George Santayana continues to ring true– “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” The key principle is that we will only make progress as we remember and learn from the errors of our past. I applaud the efforts of all involved in this project to bring more stories like these to light.
Mervil Johnson, Fort Worth, Texas
Excuse me, this was not a lynching. This was a labor-related murder, like many others that occurred during the bitter labor battles of the early 1900s. A lynching has long been defined as a summary execution by a mob of a person accused of a crime. Mr Rouse was not accused of a crime. He was in the unfortunate position of being identified as a strikebreaker, or, in the ugly slang of the time, a “scab.” Member of all races ran the risk of being brutalized by the striking employees who bitterly resented their enabling the bosses to break the strike.
I am surprised that your history department is so craven and submissive as to bow down before this dubious exercise in wokeness. I am dismayed to find my great university engaging in this flagellation of our city. Look elsewhere if you want to shame Fort Worth. The bitter irony is that the Great Liberal Cause would never have deified a strikebreaker, but that was when they cared about the labor movement; now all they care about is creating and exploiting racial division.
The whole Summer issue of the magazine was an attempt to drag our beloved university into the ranks of the libelers and attackers of America. As a graduate of TCU who majored in both journalism and history, I am doubly astonished by the journalistic and historical blindness illustrated by this episode.
Hello, and I hope all is well! Did you really read the article? It does not seem so based on your comments; this did happen in 1921 and a history major, as you say, you should know just how your response sounds rather ridiculous. Have a great day!
Thank you for this article. Whatever you want to call it, this was murder, and the suspects were not brought to justice. All so horrible. Fred just needed to work, provide for his family, what a position he was placed in-work and face harassment/death or don’t work and his family go hungry and suffer. I think of his widow, her suffering. His children, their suffering. All because some men could not control their anger and work things out w a positive outcome. This article upsets me at how man can be so evil. Check yourself in your emotion, in your actions. Be love, not hateful. And I cannot even understand how the KKK existed! A hate group? Why! I hope this story grows love and understanding beyond belief! Speaking truth in love always! God bless the Rouse family!
Wow. Thank you for taking the time to masterfully tell this important story and history. As Kyev was quoted in sayin, “The way he died and the way the city just ignored it is indicative of the fact that people are still fighting for justice.” I hope this serves a call to face the truth and continue to the fight in FW and beyound.
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