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The Forgotten

These are the names of 74 men and women who died between 1952 and 1968 under circumstances suggesting they were the victims of racially motivated violence. The information below was gathered by the Southern Poverty Law Center as it planned a timeline of killings and other civil rights era events for the Civil Rights Memorial.

The Memorial, dedicated in 1989, includes the names of 40 civil rights martyrs who were slain during that era. The names below were not inscribed on the Memorial because there was insufficient information about their deaths at the time the Memorial was created. They are, however, identified in a display at the Civil Rights Memorial Center as "The Forgotten."

Anderson, Andrew Lee - Marion, Ark., 1963

Anderson was slain by a group of whites and sheriff's deputies after a white woman said he had molested her 8-year-old daughter. A coroner's jury ruled justifiable homicide, and no arrests were made.

Andrews, Frank - Lisman, Ala., 1964

Andrews was shot in the back by a white sheriff's deputy. The county solicitor said the victim was attacking another deputy, and no arrests were made.

Banks, Isadore - Marion, Ark., 1954


Bolden, Larry - Chattanooga, Tenn., 1958


Brazier, James - Dawson, Ga., 1958


Brewer, Thomas - Columbus, Ga., 1956


Brooks, Hilliard - Montgomery, Ala., 1952


Brown, Charles - Yazoo City, Miss., 1957


Brown, Jessie - Winona, Miss., 1965


Brumfield, Carrie - Franklinton, La., 1967


Brumfield, Eli - McComb, Miss., 1961


Caston, Silas (Ernest) - Jackson, Miss., 1964


Cloninger, Clarence - Gaston, N.C., 1960

Cloninger died while incarcerated. Authorities denied him medical attention after he suffered a heart attack.

Countryman, Willie - Dawson, Ga., 1958

Police officer W.B. Cherry was cleared of murder charges after police said he shot Countryman "in self defense in the line of duty."

Dahmon, Vincent - Natchez, Miss., 1966


Daniels, Woodrow Wilson - Water Valley, Miss., 1958

Sheriff Buster Treloar, identified by four witnesses as the man who beat Daniels to death in a prison, was freed after 23 minutes of deliberation by an all-white jury. "By God," Treloar said after the trial. "Now I can get back to rounding up bootleggers and damn niggers."

Dumas, Joseph Hill - Perry, Fla., 1962

Florida Governor Farris Bryant suspended constable Henry Sauls in connection with the shooting of 19-year-old Dumas. Sauls was indicted by a federal grand jury. The result of indictment is unclear.

Evans, Pheld - Canton, Miss., 1964

Charles Evers, the brother of slain NAACP official Medgar Evers, identified Evans as having been killed under mysterious circumstances.

Evanston, J.E. - Long Lake, Miss., 1955

Evanston's body is fished out of Long Lake in December. Evanston was a teacher in the local elementary school.

Greene, Mattie - Ringgold, Ga., 1960

Greene is killed when a bomb explodes under her house.

Greenwood, Jasper - Vicksburg, Miss., 1964


Griffith, Jimmie Lee - Sturgis, Miss., 1965

Griffin was killed in a hit-and-run accident. A coroner's report revealed Griffin was run over at least twice.

Hall, A.C. - Macon, Ga., 1962

Hall was shot and killed after a white woman claimed he stole a pistol from her car. He was shot by police as he ran away.

Hamilton, Rogers - Lowndes County, Ala., 1957

Hamilton, 19, was taken from his home by a group of white men and shot to death. Hamilton was allegedly warned to stay away from black girls in the town of Hayneville. No charges were brought in the case.

Hampton, Collie - Winchester, Ky., 1966

Hampton was shot by police officers after allegedly threatening a police officer.

Harris, Alphonso - Albany, Ga., 1966

Harris, a member of SCLC, died after allegedly organizing a walkout by black students at a school in Grenada, Miss. He was killed in Georgia in response to previous civil rights activity there.

Henry, Izell - Greensburg, La., 1954

Izell was brutally beaten a day after voting. He suffered permanent brain damage and died five years later.

Hill, Arthur James - Villa Rica, Ga., 1965

Hill was shot during an argument with whites. One suspect was held on voluntary manslaughter charge.

Hunter, Ernest - St. Mary's, Ga., 1958

Hunter was shot and killed while in jail following an arrest on charges he was interfering with an officer.

Jackson, Luther - Philadelphia, Miss., 1959

Jackson was killed by police after he and his girlfriend were found talking in their car, which was stalled in a ditch. Police claim Jackson attacked them.

Jells, Ernest - Clarksdale, Miss., 1964


Jeter, Joe Franklin - Atlanta, Ga., 1958

Jeter was killed by police in front of his family, who were also arrested and convicted in connection with a gathering that police said turned into a melee. A grand jury found the slaying was justified.

Lee, John - Goshen Springs, Miss., 1965

Lee's body was found beaten on a country road.

Lee, Willie Henry - Rankin County, Miss., 1965

Lee, who was known to have attended civil rights meetings, was found beaten on a country road. An autopsy revealed he died by strangulation from gas.

Lillard, Richard - Nashville, Tenn., 1958

Lillard died after a beating from three white guards at a local workhouse. All three were acquitted of murder charges.

Love, George - Indianola, Miss., 1958


Mahone, Maybelle - Molena, Ga., 1956

Mahone was killed by a white man for "sassing" him. The man was initially found guilty, but later found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Maxwell, Sylvester - Canton, Miss., 1963


McNair, Robert - Pelahatchie, Miss., 1965

McNair was killed by a town constable.

Melton, Clinton - Sumner, Miss., 1956

Elmer Otis Kimbell was cleared in Melton's death. Kimbell claimed Melton fired at him three times before he returned fire with a shotgun. No gun was found in Melton's car or on his body.

Miller, James Andrew - Jackson, Ga., 1964

Miller was shot by whites a few days after being beaten. A suspect was cleared after the coroner ruled he fired in self-defense.

Mixon, Booker T - Clarksdale, Miss., 1959

Mixon's body was found lying on the side of the road, completely nude. Police claimed it was a hit-and-run, though family members cited his naked body and the extensive amount of flesh torn from his body as evidence of murder.

Montgomery, Nehemiah - Merigold, Miss., 1964


Morris, Frank - Ferriday, La., 1964

Morris, who owned a shoe store, was killed when a gas stove exploded during an arson. Morris, who lived in a room adjoining the store, was ordered to return to his room by the men who started the fire. An extensive Justice Department investigation was conducted, but the outcome is unclear.

Motley, James Earl - Wetumpka, Ala., 1967

Elmore County Deputy Sheriff Harvey Conner was cleared in the death of Motley, who died in prison after suffering three severe blows to the head.

O'Quinn, Sam - Centreville, Miss., 1959

O'Quinn, derided by some local whites for being "uppity," was shot after joining the NAACP.

Orsby, Hubert - Pickens, Miss., 1964

Orsby's body was found in the Black River. It was reported that he was wearing a t-shirt with "CORE," written on it, representing the Congress of Racial Equality.

Payne, Larry - Memphis, Tenn., 1968

Payne, 16, was killed by a shotgun blast fired by a patrolman as he emerged from a basement in a housing development.

Pickett, C.H. - Columbus, Ga., 1957

The part-time minister was beaten to death while in police custody.

Pitts, Albert

Pitts, David

Johnson, Marshall

McPharland, Ernest - Monroe, La., 1960

A white employer was arrested and then released in the shooting of five of his employees, four of whom died. The victims were accused of making threats. The employer was never charged.

Powell, Jimmy - Brooklyn, N.Y., 1964

Powell, 15, was fatally shot by a Brooklyn police officer. The officer's exoneration by a grand jury sparked riots in Harlem.

Prather, William Roy - Corinth, Miss., 1959

Prather, 15, was killed in an anti-black Halloween prank. One of eight youths involved was indicted on manslaughter charges.

Queen, Johnny - Fayette, Miss., 1965

A white off-duty constable was named in the pistol slaying of Johnny Queen. The shooting was not connected to any arrest.

Rasberry, Donald - Okolona, Miss., 1965

Rasberry was shot to death by his plantation boss.

Robinson, Fred - Edisto Island, S.C., 1960

Robinson's body was found washed ashore on August 5. His eyes were reportedly gouged out and his skull crushed.

Robinson, Johnny - Birmingham, Ala., 1963

Robinson, 16, was shot in the back by a policeman on the same day as the 16th Street Church bombing. Police said the victim had thrown stones at white youths driving through the area.

Sanford, Willie Joe - Hawkinsville, Ga., 1957

Sanford's naked body was raised from the bottom of a creek where it had been wired to undergrowth in the water. The result of a grand jury investigation is unknown.

Scott Jr., Marshall - New Orleans, La., 1965

Scott was put into solitary confinement in a New Orleans jail. He died without receiving any medical attention. There were no arrests in the case.

Shelby, Jessie James - Yazoo City, Miss., 1956

Shelby, 23, was fatally wounded by a police officer who claimed he shot Shelby because he resisted arrest.

Singleton, W.G. - Shelby, N.C., 1957

Singleton died from third-degree burns suffered in an explosion and fire.

Smith, Ed - State Line, Miss., 1958

A grand jury refused to indict L.D. Clark in the death of Smith, who was shot in his yard in front of his wife. Clark later reportedly bragged about the killing.

Stewart, Eddie James - Crystal Springs, Miss., 1966

Stewart was reportedly beaten and shot while in police custody. Police claimed he was shot while trying to escape.

Taylor, Isaiah - Ruleville, Miss., 1964


Thomas, Freddie Lee - LeFlore County, Miss., 1965

Federal investigators looked into the death of Thomas, 16. Thomas' brother believed he was murdered as a warning against black voter registration. The result of the investigation is unknown.

Triggs, Saleam - Hattiesburg, Miss., 1965

The body of Mrs. Triggs was found mysteriously burned to death.

Varner, Hubert - Atlanta, Ga., 1966

Varner, 16, was killed when a gunman fired into a group of black teenagers. The gunman allegedly believed the teenagers made a comment to his white companion. The result of a federal investigation is unknown.

Walker, Clifton - Adams County, Miss., 1964


Waymers, James - Allendale, S.C., 1965

A white man is acquitted in the shooting death of Waymers after entering a plea of self-defense.

Wilder, John Wesley - Ruston, La., 1965

A white policeman was accused of Wilder's death, and a coroner's jury ruled the slaying was justifiable homicide.

Williamson, Rodell - Camden, Ala., 1967

Williamson's body was recovered from the Alabama River after it snagged on a fisherman's line. Williamson was active in the Wilcox Country branch of the NAACP, but local sheriff P.C. Jenkins said there were no signs of foul play.

Wooden, Archie - Camden, Ala., 1967

Wooden, 16, bled to death after either jumping or falling onto a sapling in a ditch. The cut sapling severed an artery. A newspaper report said the Mobile office of the FBI made a civil rights violation inquiry into the incident. The results of that inquiry are unknown.