written by Gail Widholm
“History, despite its wrenching pain,
Cannot be unlived, but if faced
With courage, need not be lived again.” Maya Angelou
Today we are going to start with a question.
Q. Which NC county was responsible for the most lynchings in our state?
{The answer will be at the end}.
Why are lynchings important to us today?
In a report produced by the Equitable Justice Institute (EJI), they state that it is “only by telling the truth about the age of racial terror and collectively reflecting on this period and its legacy can we hope that our present day conversations about racial exclusion and inequality – and any policies designed to address these issues – will be accurate, thoughtful, and informed.”
Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy and founder of the EJI, has explained that to help incarcerated prisoners of color, we need to understand the background that gave birth to our present day criminal justice system. He states that understanding the narrative of history will inform the current climate. This must be understood before legal arguments are presented if they are to be persuasive. Until a larger percentage of our population becomes familiar with the history of marginalized people in America, abuse will continue to flourish across the land.
It is the objective of the Harbor District Anti-Racism Team to gather and disseminate as much of our local and national history as possible. We are seeking to work with like minded organizations and individuals. We are in the process of compiling a list of organizations and resources to expand our knowledge and reach.
It is also our objective to encourage and assist individuals to deepen their own personal understanding of racism and adjust their responses and behaviors. We are encouraging such tools as the Intercultural Development Inventory or IDI. This tool has had surprising results for those who have taken it. For more information, contact your Pastor or a member of the Harbor District Anti-Racism Team.
Did you know that the EJI has estimated almost 4,000 people that have been lynched from the end of the Civil War until WWII? What an incredible waste of human potential. North Carolina is no exception having lynched 120 documented cases and countless others without documentation.
The answer to the earlier question… The most documented lynchings by county in NC were in New Hanover County… more that 3 to 6 times more than any other county (17).
It is not time to think the past does not reverberate today. The Star New has recently reported on Proud Boys attending public meetings dressed in threatening black garb.
For information on joining our team or with information about other groups and resources CONTACT: Bescye Burnett at 678.882.6721