From Jessica McElrath,
Your Guide to African-American History.
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In 1927, after months of heavy rains, the Mississippi River could no longer be detained by the levees. Several levees collapsed causing the Great Mississippi Flood. Six states and numerous cities and towns were affected by the disaster. For the community of Greenville, Mississippi the evacuation of its black residents was a divisive issue. As it would turn out, the deceit and greed of the planters would ultimately determine the fate of the black populace.

The Flood

It had been raining since the fall of 1926 in the northern United States. March and April of 1927 continued to rain heavily. In April, record rains were experienced. Greenville, Mississippi residents began to worry that flooding would occur. Despite assurance from the Army Corps of Engineers who had recently constructed the levees along the Mississippi River from Cairo, Illinois to New Orleans, many white residents, mostly women and children, began to leave the area.

On April 15, Greenville received 8.12 inches of rain. In anticipation of the potential collapse of the levee local men were recruited, and in some instances forced to help raise the height of the levee using sandbags. While Greenville struggled to prevent the bursting of the nearby levee, the Great Mississippi Flood began on April 16, when just outside of Cairo, Illinois the 1,200 foot levee collapsed; 175,000 acres were flooded.

Despite Greenville’s efforts, they could not escape the flood. On April 21, the levee at Mounds Landing, located twelve miles from Greenville, burst. Tragically, the men working on the levee at the time were drowned. On April 22, the water reached Greenville. Ten feet of water covered the downtown area. To escape the water, thousands of residents camped out on top of their rooftops, in trees, and in the upper floors of stores and churches.

Many white residents were rescued and evacuated from the area. Black residents were taken to Greenville’s levee, which was an island surrounded by the river on one side and the flooded area on the other side. Within days, thirteen thousand African Americans occupied the five-mile stretch of land. Makeshift tents were built, but food was sparse and the drinking water was contaminated.

Deceit, Greed, and Politics

Will Percy, Greenville resident and son of a prominent landowner and former U.S. Senator, was appointed as the head of the Flood Relief Committee by his father LeRoy Percy. Will Percy decided that the right thing to do was to evacuate the black refugees. However, planters were opposed to this plan. They feared that the refugees would not return; thus, this would leave them without laborers for their crops.

Will’s father secretly went behind his back and convinced the rest of the committee to vote against the evacuation. When the vote was taken, the committee voted in opposition to evacuation. With the decision made not to evacuate, Percy persuaded the Red Cross to make Greenville into the distribution center by using the black refugees as the laborers to unload the cargo.

When food was finally brought, it was not distributed based on need. Instead, supplies were first given to whites and then to the blacks who were wearing tags marked “laborer.” In many instances, it was common for rations not to be distributed to all blacks.

On April 26, Herbert Hoover, the Secretary of Commerce, visited Greenville and approved the plans proposed by the Flood Relief Committee. Shortly after the visit, abuses in the refugee camp were reported by the Northern press. Through investigation into the abuses, Hoover confirmed the accuracy of the reports. In response, Hoover created a Colored Advisory Commission that was composed of conservative African Americans and was led by Robert Russa Moton. The commission confirmed Hoover’s prior findings. With Hoover’s bid for the presidency approaching, Hoover proposed to Moton that the findings be kept quiet. In exchange for the favor, Hoover agreed to support African American reforms after he won the presidential election.

Racial Tension Rises

On July 7, events in Greenville took a turn for the worse. James Gooden, a black resident, had just returned home after working the night shift. The police came to his home to recruit him to work another shift. When Gooden refused, he was shot in the back by a police officer. Not surprisingly, the murder of Gooden did not sit well with Greenville’s blacks. With racial tensions already at its peak, Will Percy aggregated the matter even further when he told black residents at a community meeting, “That foolish policeman is not the murderer. The murderer is you.”

Will Percy’s Failure

Percy’s response to the tragedy was reflective of his overall lack of judgment. Despite Percy’s initial efforts to take the moral high road regarding the evacuation of African American residents, his failure lay in his inability to take on a leadership role. Instead of working to get the rest of the committee behind him, he cowered to the pressure of his father and the planters. His handling of the refugee camp was also a failure. According to Red Cross investigations, out of the 154 camps, Greenville’s was the worst. His leadership had been a failure in all areas. On August 31, Percy resigned from the Flood Relief Committee.

After the Flood

The aftermath of the flood brought about two historic changes. First, the fears of Greenville’s planters came true. Many blacks left the South and went north. Within a year, fifty percent of the black population in the Delta migrated to Northern cities. The exodus of Southern blacks contributed to the Great Migration. Secondly, after Hoover was elected President, he failed to fulfill his promise to Moton. This failure had dire consequences that would be lasting. Moton and other African American leaders helped to shift black allegiance from the Republican Party to the Democrats.

The Great Mississippi Flood also led to the loss of life and property. It resulted in the flooding of a total area of 27,000 square miles, the death of 246 people, the destruction of 137,000 buildings, and the displacement of 700,000 people. Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee were affected by the flood.