Tree Honoring Black Victims of US Massacre Is Cut Down

Hundreds of African-Americans were killed in Elaine, Arkansas, in 1919 during the United States' horrifying "Red Summer." In April, a tree was planted to honor the Elaine Massacre victims—of which there could have been as many as 800, according to some estimates—but last week the willow was chopped down at its base, the Elaine Legacy Center says. The tree's memorial tag was also stolen. Officials are investigating who is responsible, the Guardian reports. Next month, the Elaine Massacre Memorial will be dedicated; located in a park across from the courthouse where "sham trials" related to the massacre took place, it will feature 8-foot walls and inscriptions, the Arkansas Times reported earlier this month. (Click for more on Red Summer and how the US is remembering it a century later.)