You might help in the creation of the world's first bagpipe opera!

[4-10-02]

We have just received this note from Scotland. If you can offer any information to this brother, please send a note to both him and your WebWeaver.

Dear Witherspoon Society:

Please see www.scotlandonsunday.com/spectrum.cfm?id 3422002 for an interesting article in the 10th February 2002 issue of Scotland on Sunday about a heroic Scots Presbyterian Minister who single-handedly confronted a howling Lynch Mob at the Tulsa County Court House during the infamous 1921 Tulsa Race War, to save the life of an innocent Black Youth falsely accused of 'rape' by a racist newspaper publisher who incited the lynching of this young Black Man by his editorial "To Lynch A Nigger Tonight".

[A note from your WebWeaver:  The article tells of the Reverend Dr Charles William Kerr, describing him as "a white man, of Scottish extraction, and pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Tulsa."]

[A technical note:  When you get to the page linked above, you will need to run a search for the archived story.  I searched for "Presbyterian" and "Tulsa" and found the story right away.  Then you will be asked to register to enter the archive.  It's a pretty painless process.}

Who was this heroic minister? Following publication of this article he is now thought of as a great hero here in Scotland; he saved the honour of Tulsa by facing down this Lynch Mob to save a friendless Black Youth and for later seeking full compensation for the Greenwood Black People devastated by this racial war. Did Tulsa ever honour him for his heroism? Were the Black People ever compensated as this minister desired ?

What became of this minister? What congregation was he associated with? We would like to know more about him in Scotland. He seemed to be a very fine man. A local Bag Pipe Major wishes to compose the world's first bag pipe opera about this minister's heroism. Any information will be greatly appreciated. We are very proud of him in Scotland.

Any information which you can gather will be most appreciated. This minister is regarded as a real hero in Scotland for facing down a Lynch Mob to save a Black Youth's life and for seeking full compensation for the Blacks devastated by Tulsans during their 1921 Race War. We need modern Christian Heroes to day who, like Dr. Kerr, will place their lives on the line to stand up for Gospel Values.

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