In September 1935, Elwood Higginbotham was lynched by a white mob in Oxford, Mississippi. [1] [2]
Background
Elwood Higginbotham was a 29 year old African American tenant farmer. [3] He was indicted and jailed for allegedly shooting his landholder in self-defense. It appeared that a conviction was unlikely. [3]
Murder
On September 17, 1935, a mob broke into his cell and abducted him. [3] He was lynched at the intersection of North Lamar Boulevard and Molly Barr Road. [3]
No one was ever prosecuted for his murder. [3] His mother and family fled Mississippi after the lynching. [2]
Legacy
After Higginbotham's lynching, NAACP Secretary Walter White wrote to President Franklin Roosevelt to call for a federal anti-lynching bill. [1]
In 2018, a plaque was placed where he was believed to have been lynched. [3]
References
- ^ a b "Elwood Higginbotham". Northeastern University Library. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
- ^ a b Gregory, Vanessa (April 25, 2018). "A Lynching's Long Shadow". The New York Times. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f "Remembering Elwood Higginbottom: Speakers call for systematic change at plaque unveiling". Oxford Eagle. October 30, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
In September 1935, Elwood Higginbotham was lynched by a white mob in Oxford, Mississippi. [1] [2]
Background
Elwood Higginbotham was a 29 year old African American tenant farmer. [3] He was indicted and jailed for allegedly shooting his landholder in self-defense. It appeared that a conviction was unlikely. [3]
Murder
On September 17, 1935, a mob broke into his cell and abducted him. [3] He was lynched at the intersection of North Lamar Boulevard and Molly Barr Road. [3]
No one was ever prosecuted for his murder. [3] His mother and family fled Mississippi after the lynching. [2]
Legacy
After Higginbotham's lynching, NAACP Secretary Walter White wrote to President Franklin Roosevelt to call for a federal anti-lynching bill. [1]
In 2018, a plaque was placed where he was believed to have been lynched. [3]
References
- ^ a b "Elwood Higginbotham". Northeastern University Library. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
- ^ a b Gregory, Vanessa (April 25, 2018). "A Lynching's Long Shadow". The New York Times. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f "Remembering Elwood Higginbottom: Speakers call for systematic change at plaque unveiling". Oxford Eagle. October 30, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2021.