Alabama researcher demands justice for lynched Blacks
By Saeed Shabazz
Dec 28, 2002
The Final Call
(FinalCall.com) - There are many people alive today, who participated
in the lynching murders of Black men and women, according to Dr.
Danny Blanchard of Alabama.
Researchers say from 1882 to 1968, 581 Blacks were lynched in the
state of Mississippi, making it the number one state in America for
such murders. Georgia was second with 531 and Texas third with 493
lynchings.
Researchers say 3,446 Blacks were lynched in America, during the above period.
Dr. Blanchard works as an assistant to Alabama Governor Don
Siegelman. But his passion is bringing to justice those who have not
paid the price for lynching Blacks. "There are some dedicated
students working with me, who do not get paid for this. I want to
emphasize that," Dr. Blanchard stressed. The students have been
threatened so many times that Dr. Blanchard declined to name what
organizations are involved, or what schools his student helpers
attend.
The research is not just for the sake of research, he stressed. "We
want people arrested and jailed for these crimes," Dr. Blanchard
demanded.
Stewart E. Tolmay and E.M. Beck, in their book "A Festival of
Violence: An Analysis of Southern Lynchings, 1882-1930," said 94
percent of Black victims died at the hands of White mobs, and that
the number one purpose for lynching was to "maintain social order
over the Black population through terrorism."
Another salient point in their book: "In every southern state there
was an assault on any Black that contested the privileges of Whites
or threatened to hinder White domination of the Black population."
The authors concluded that by looking at the number of Blacks
lynched-2,500 victims during their period of research-a Black man,
woman or child was murdered nearly "once a week."
Crime Magazine, an Internet "encyclopedia of crime" posts lynching
photographs on its web site. Their introduction reads: "There are
many photographs, showing a group of U.S. citizens attending the most
inhumane butchery imaginable, and getting away with it."
"They won't be getting away with their crimes much longer," vows Dr.
Blanchard. His group has studied many photographs taken at lynchings.
"If a person is just standing there watching, they are still guilty
of the lynching," Dr. Blanchard said. "We have 17 lynching cases here
in Alabama that we are prepared to take to the state's attorney
general," he said. Dr. Blanchard is also glad to see a plethora of
lynching research coming forth. "It is important to know the reasons
behind these lynchings," he said.
Attorney generals throughout the south should get ready for a renewed
demand for justice and solving these racially motivated murders, Dr.
Blanchard said.
Given speculation that there is enough evidence to re-open the case
of the 1955 lynching of Emmett Till in Mississippi, Dr. Blanchard
believes national interest in bringing Whites to justice will rise in
the Black community. Min. Benjamin Muhammad, director of the New
York-based Hip Hop Summit Action Network, said Blacks in America have
been complacent for "too long." Issues such as the unsolved murder of
Emmett Till must serve as a wake- up call to Blacks that racist
conditions of the past 400-years have not disappeared, he said. The
Till killing was meant to intimidate Blacks, who were standing up and
demanding justice, said the former civil rights leader.
Activists working on lynching research say people must first be
re-educated. They say that stories such as the May 1918 lynching of
Mary Turner in Brooks County, Ga. must be told. Activists believe
that when people hear these stories, people will demand action.
Mary Turner was a pregnant Black woman lynched by a mob because she
complained that her husband, Hayes Taylor, was hanged for a crime he
did not commit. She was hanged, burned and her eight-month-old baby
was cut out of her stomach and beaten before being burned. The legend
that now surrounds Mary Turner is that the unborn baby after being
ripped from its mother's womb "let out a pleading cry" when killed by
the mob. No one was ever arrested for the murder of Mary Turner, her
baby, nor her husband.
"We have heard that cry," said Dr. Blanchard.
By Saeed Shabazz
Dec 28, 2002
The Final Call
(FinalCall.com) - There are many people alive today, who participated
in the lynching murders of Black men and women, according to Dr.
Danny Blanchard of Alabama.
Researchers say from 1882 to 1968, 581 Blacks were lynched in the
state of Mississippi, making it the number one state in America for
such murders. Georgia was second with 531 and Texas third with 493
lynchings.
Researchers say 3,446 Blacks were lynched in America, during the above period.
Dr. Blanchard works as an assistant to Alabama Governor Don
Siegelman. But his passion is bringing to justice those who have not
paid the price for lynching Blacks. "There are some dedicated
students working with me, who do not get paid for this. I want to
emphasize that," Dr. Blanchard stressed. The students have been
threatened so many times that Dr. Blanchard declined to name what
organizations are involved, or what schools his student helpers
attend.
The research is not just for the sake of research, he stressed. "We
want people arrested and jailed for these crimes," Dr. Blanchard
demanded.
Stewart E. Tolmay and E.M. Beck, in their book "A Festival of
Violence: An Analysis of Southern Lynchings, 1882-1930," said 94
percent of Black victims died at the hands of White mobs, and that
the number one purpose for lynching was to "maintain social order
over the Black population through terrorism."
Another salient point in their book: "In every southern state there
was an assault on any Black that contested the privileges of Whites
or threatened to hinder White domination of the Black population."
The authors concluded that by looking at the number of Blacks
lynched-2,500 victims during their period of research-a Black man,
woman or child was murdered nearly "once a week."
Crime Magazine, an Internet "encyclopedia of crime" posts lynching
photographs on its web site. Their introduction reads: "There are
many photographs, showing a group of U.S. citizens attending the most
inhumane butchery imaginable, and getting away with it."
"They won't be getting away with their crimes much longer," vows Dr.
Blanchard. His group has studied many photographs taken at lynchings.
"If a person is just standing there watching, they are still guilty
of the lynching," Dr. Blanchard said. "We have 17 lynching cases here
in Alabama that we are prepared to take to the state's attorney
general," he said. Dr. Blanchard is also glad to see a plethora of
lynching research coming forth. "It is important to know the reasons
behind these lynchings," he said.
Attorney generals throughout the south should get ready for a renewed
demand for justice and solving these racially motivated murders, Dr.
Blanchard said.
Given speculation that there is enough evidence to re-open the case
of the 1955 lynching of Emmett Till in Mississippi, Dr. Blanchard
believes national interest in bringing Whites to justice will rise in
the Black community. Min. Benjamin Muhammad, director of the New
York-based Hip Hop Summit Action Network, said Blacks in America have
been complacent for "too long." Issues such as the unsolved murder of
Emmett Till must serve as a wake- up call to Blacks that racist
conditions of the past 400-years have not disappeared, he said. The
Till killing was meant to intimidate Blacks, who were standing up and
demanding justice, said the former civil rights leader.
Activists working on lynching research say people must first be
re-educated. They say that stories such as the May 1918 lynching of
Mary Turner in Brooks County, Ga. must be told. Activists believe
that when people hear these stories, people will demand action.
Mary Turner was a pregnant Black woman lynched by a mob because she
complained that her husband, Hayes Taylor, was hanged for a crime he
did not commit. She was hanged, burned and her eight-month-old baby
was cut out of her stomach and beaten before being burned. The legend
that now surrounds Mary Turner is that the unborn baby after being
ripped from its mother's womb "let out a pleading cry" when killed by
the mob. No one was ever arrested for the murder of Mary Turner, her
baby, nor her husband.
"We have heard that cry," said Dr. Blanchard.