Revisiting Infamous Hate Crime and Civil Rights Cases
They call it the "Mississippi Burning" case - a reference to the 1988 movie directed by Alan Parker and nominated for seven Academy Awards about this tragic event.Although it all took place in 1964, an 80 year old now sits facing a federal murder charge for a hate crime that left three men dead - their lives violently stolen by those who would deny freedom - for over 40 years.
But this case is only the latest in a string of civil rights era cases to have been reopened.
- In 1994, white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith was finally convicted for the 1963 hate crime and murder of NAACP field secretary Medgar Evers. Two all-white juries had previously deadlocked in the late 60s.
- In 1998, former Klan imperial wizard Sam Bowers was convicted of the 1966 hate crime and firebombing of an NAACP leader.
- In 2002, former Klansman Bobby Cherry was convicted of the hate crime and first-degree murder during the 1963 firebombing of a Birmingham church - well-known for the resulting deaths of four Black schoolgirls. His partner in crime, Thomas Blanton Jr., was convicted for this same hate crime in 2001.
- According to CNN, in early June of 2005 the FBI exhumed the body of Emmett Till - the 14-year-old Black boy who during this particular hate crime, was kidnapped, severely beaten, disfigured and ultimately murdered in August of 1955 because he had dared to openly flirt with a White woman. The men, who dragged the boy from his home and away from family members who witenessed their actions, were acquitted, again by an all-white jury. Later, they spoke openly about the murder. Because the government now believes that others may have been involved, the justice system is interested in solving old hate crimes such as this one and the body of Emmett Till is now being examined in the hopes of recovering evidence of this hate crime.
Power and Justice: Solving Old but Infamous Hate Crimes and Civil Rights Cases
That it has taken 40 years for justice to be delivered in cases like these speaks volumes about power in society, but when we consider that many more who committed horrible atrocities and hate crimes during that era may never be brought to justice, never serve time for their crimes against other human beings, never be asked to atone for their wrongdoings, then we begin to understand the power of race.In a society where Whites have all the power - create the laws, enforce the laws, serve the laws, judge according to the law - there can hardly be justice for those who are not White, particularly when the laws clearly state that you are less entitled as the Jim Crow laws did. Only in this environment could we expect all-White juries to easily acquit White criminals accused of hate crimes committed on the basis of race. And this is exactly what occurred over and over again.
It is only now that we are approaching some degree of equality - at least in terms of legislation - that we can retry these individuals and expect that true justice will be served. So although justice will come late for the victims of civil rights era hate crimes, that we are raising dead cases and breathing new life into the justice system ultimately bodes well for our collective future.