A Red Day In Selma: An Alternate History Of The Civil Rights Era And Cold War
- Thread starter DrDerp
- Start date
Could we see a move to enlist "reasonable" African American leaders, to help keep the peace? Let us work together against outside agitators
waiting eagerly for next chapter
please don't lose motivation, keep writing
I really really really really enjoy this
please don't lose motivation, keep writing
I really really really really enjoy this
Chapter 29
Chapter 29: A very odd murder
March 9th 1968
Edgefield, South Carolina
Detective Kirk Barlow was absolutely certain that he'd never come across a crime scene as bizarre or more bizarre as this one for the rest of his career. Two men in suits lay slumped on the floor, dead from close range shotgun blasts that painted the walls with red.
Slumped over a desk covered in blood and red splashed papers was Strom Thurmond. Even though the top portion of his head was gone, there were enough pictures of the man to give away who was in the chair.
On the floors of the house, accompanying the blood and bone fragments, were pieces of fried chicken and watermelon slices. On the living room wall in black paint were the words 'com de revolushion.'
In spite of the horror around him, and the ramifications of the senator's gruesome demise, he had to role his eyes. Some of the other officers with him were staring at it.
He wasn't quite sure who was responsible for this, but it was blatantly obvious who the intended scapegoat was. Sure, Strom had no friends amongst the black population of his state. Sure, he made a name for himself opposing integration in a pretty theatrical way.
But he was hard pressed to believe that they were behind this. The stereotypical food thrown all over place and poorly spelled message couldn't make that more clear.
But that aside, the question of who actually killed the senator was somewhat harder to answer. Dissatisfied white supremacists? Maybe. Strom's vocal opposition to ending segregation became a lot quieter in the wake of King and Johnson's demise. He could picture some of his old supporters seeing his timid objections or silence on the issue to be a betrayal.
And yeah, he imagined die-hard segregation supporters would roll with the idea that someone black killed Thurmond as use it as justification to some sort of reprisal.
However, he doubted he'd be on this case much longer. The killing of a senator was a federal matter, and the FBI would be on it like flies on shit before the sun rose.
Still, it was so weird. Who'd try and frame the senator's killers as being black with such a lazy setup? They either had to be stupid or completely insane.
Given that the call for shots fired at the house came an hour ago, this was a very fresh crime scene. Still, the killers might have put some real distance between the house and them. His best guess would be that they were heading for the border with Georgia.
He'd have to run that by the bureau. If they got lucky, they could find whoever offed the senator.
Author here: There's a hidden clue to who did this, but you might have to look close in order to see it.
March 9th 1968
Edgefield, South Carolina
Detective Kirk Barlow was absolutely certain that he'd never come across a crime scene as bizarre or more bizarre as this one for the rest of his career. Two men in suits lay slumped on the floor, dead from close range shotgun blasts that painted the walls with red.
Slumped over a desk covered in blood and red splashed papers was Strom Thurmond. Even though the top portion of his head was gone, there were enough pictures of the man to give away who was in the chair.
On the floors of the house, accompanying the blood and bone fragments, were pieces of fried chicken and watermelon slices. On the living room wall in black paint were the words 'com de revolushion.'
In spite of the horror around him, and the ramifications of the senator's gruesome demise, he had to role his eyes. Some of the other officers with him were staring at it.
He wasn't quite sure who was responsible for this, but it was blatantly obvious who the intended scapegoat was. Sure, Strom had no friends amongst the black population of his state. Sure, he made a name for himself opposing integration in a pretty theatrical way.
But he was hard pressed to believe that they were behind this. The stereotypical food thrown all over place and poorly spelled message couldn't make that more clear.
But that aside, the question of who actually killed the senator was somewhat harder to answer. Dissatisfied white supremacists? Maybe. Strom's vocal opposition to ending segregation became a lot quieter in the wake of King and Johnson's demise. He could picture some of his old supporters seeing his timid objections or silence on the issue to be a betrayal.
And yeah, he imagined die-hard segregation supporters would roll with the idea that someone black killed Thurmond as use it as justification to some sort of reprisal.
However, he doubted he'd be on this case much longer. The killing of a senator was a federal matter, and the FBI would be on it like flies on shit before the sun rose.
Still, it was so weird. Who'd try and frame the senator's killers as being black with such a lazy setup? They either had to be stupid or completely insane.
Given that the call for shots fired at the house came an hour ago, this was a very fresh crime scene. Still, the killers might have put some real distance between the house and them. His best guess would be that they were heading for the border with Georgia.
He'd have to run that by the bureau. If they got lucky, they could find whoever offed the senator.
Author here: There's a hidden clue to who did this, but you might have to look close in order to see it.
Chapter 30
Chapter 30: No Nixon
The murder of Strom Thurmond was yet another violent act directed towards a political leader that only served to further rattle the American public. No matter where one stood on the political spectrum, Strom's murder was a bad sign.
Though quite a few African Americans did see a little benefit to his newfound absence from politics, NAACP leadership began issuing publications stating that although he was an adamant segregationist, the big picture must not be ignored.
"This cannot become a precedent," said one NAACP publication in St. Louis. "The removal of politicians by bullet instead of ballot cannot become a regular part of American life. The fate of Kennedy and Johnson should not be allowed to become 'normal' if we are to have any chance of living up to our potential or even simply remain functional."
The bizarre crime scene also grabbed press attention, with it being obvious to many that it was a setup to implicate African Americans in Thurmond's murder. Photos that were deemed suitable for release made their way into newspapers and TV newsrooms, painting the picture of a murder scene that was as garish as it was gruesome. There was no shortage of speculation as to who the killers were.
The nation didn't have to wait too long to get an answer though.
On July 28th, during a campaign rally in New York City, Nixon was gunned down by Squeaky Fromme, as his motorcade drove through the city. Having been shot in the chest four times, he died almost instantly.In NYPD custody, Fromm confessed that Nixon's murder was planned by the group he belonged to, the Manson Family. Thurmond and Nixon were both two victims in an intended string of murders intended to spark a race war. They also intended to kill members of the Civil Rights Movement and frame members of white supremacist groups in order to further heat tensions.
A nationwide manhunt for the rest of the Manson Family soon began, with the FBI arresting them in California one month after the murder. In the meantime, Nixon's running mate Spiro Agnew reacted to Richard's death by reorienting his platform to be 'law and order', a promise to restore peace and stability to an America riven by racial strife and political violence. His focus on domestic security didn't only attract voters shocked by Nixon's murder, but former Dixiecrats who felt that they were betrayed by the Democratic party over the Civil Rights Movement.
Despite the legislative victories he made in the wake of Johnson's murder, Humphrey was narrowly beaten by Agnew in the 1968 election.
The murder of Strom Thurmond was yet another violent act directed towards a political leader that only served to further rattle the American public. No matter where one stood on the political spectrum, Strom's murder was a bad sign.
Though quite a few African Americans did see a little benefit to his newfound absence from politics, NAACP leadership began issuing publications stating that although he was an adamant segregationist, the big picture must not be ignored.
"This cannot become a precedent," said one NAACP publication in St. Louis. "The removal of politicians by bullet instead of ballot cannot become a regular part of American life. The fate of Kennedy and Johnson should not be allowed to become 'normal' if we are to have any chance of living up to our potential or even simply remain functional."
The bizarre crime scene also grabbed press attention, with it being obvious to many that it was a setup to implicate African Americans in Thurmond's murder. Photos that were deemed suitable for release made their way into newspapers and TV newsrooms, painting the picture of a murder scene that was as garish as it was gruesome. There was no shortage of speculation as to who the killers were.
The nation didn't have to wait too long to get an answer though.
On July 28th, during a campaign rally in New York City, Nixon was gunned down by Squeaky Fromme, as his motorcade drove through the city. Having been shot in the chest four times, he died almost instantly.In NYPD custody, Fromm confessed that Nixon's murder was planned by the group he belonged to, the Manson Family. Thurmond and Nixon were both two victims in an intended string of murders intended to spark a race war. They also intended to kill members of the Civil Rights Movement and frame members of white supremacist groups in order to further heat tensions.
A nationwide manhunt for the rest of the Manson Family soon began, with the FBI arresting them in California one month after the murder. In the meantime, Nixon's running mate Spiro Agnew reacted to Richard's death by reorienting his platform to be 'law and order', a promise to restore peace and stability to an America riven by racial strife and political violence. His focus on domestic security didn't only attract voters shocked by Nixon's murder, but former Dixiecrats who felt that they were betrayed by the Democratic party over the Civil Rights Movement.
Despite the legislative victories he made in the wake of Johnson's murder, Humphrey was narrowly beaten by Agnew in the 1968 election.
Zeus
Bullet resistant vests and body armor might start becoming a thing for politics.
Especially as even important folks are getting shot left and right.
Bullet resistant vests and body armor might start becoming a thing for politics.
Especially as even important folks are getting shot left and right.
Three president shot in a single decade is a horrifying thing. American politics are about to get really fucking ugly.
I'm thinking TTL's 1969 will be the Year of the Four Presidents.
This "Law and Order" agenda is gonna blow in Agnew's face isn't it?
mortonofski
Donor
It's Agnew. He'll be the one lighting the fuse, and his past actions will only make for a bigger boom (oh hey, Lester Matz, I didn't see you over there) .
Oh I here that.
Also I am curious about how Hollywood will change now that Sharon Tate's death has been butterflied
SOAWWIISoldier
Monthly Donor
Funny thing about this. I was a 15-year-old boy living in Nebraska. My dad was a teacher and was planning to move to either California to be closer to his twin brother or to South Carolina to be closer to his youngest sister. He picked South Carolina and we moved in 1966. I strongly suspect that he would not have done so here. Whether we stayed in Nebraska or went to California I can't even guess.