If you think lynching is a thing of the past, you need to know Michael Donald was kidnapped, beaten, and extrajudicially murdered by James Knowles and Henry Francis Hays, two members of an Alabama faction of the KKK on March 21, 1981.
Specifically, he was killed in retaliation after the 2nd trial of Josephus Anderson, a Black man accused of killing a white police officer, was declared a mistrial; Michael was killed because it was assumed that Josephus Anderson’s impunity resulted from Black’s serving on his jury.
As if kidnapping, beating, and strangling Michael were not enough, Knowles and Hays displayed his corpse at the home of Klan elder Bennie Hays, then hung his corpse from a tree. At the time, the United Klans of America was one of the largest, most violent, and most financially profitable hate groups in the USA.
Fortunately, known financial profitability does not insulate legally formed entities from gross ignorance of the law, and knowledge of her son’s murder being racially motivated combined with a lack of thorough investigation gave Beulah Mae Donald ammunition to seek justice.
After the case grabbed the attention of the FBI in 1983, Hays and Knowles were arrested; Knowles confessed immediately and was the government’s star witness. For violating Michael’s civil rights, Knowles was sentenced to life in prison, while Hays was sentenced to death. Beulah Mae also filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit and was awarded a $7 million judgment against the United Klans of America and many of its members in 1984.
Unable to pay, the Klan deeded its Tuscaloosa headquarters valued at $225,000 to Beulah Mae. After selling the building and purchasing her first home, under advisement of legal counsel Beulah Mae then seized property and garnished the wages of the liable members of the Klan.
Beulah Mae’s civil lawsuit was the first resulting in the KKK being held financially liable for actions that its members had taken and set a legal precedent currently in use to fight hate crimes committed by violent white supremacist organizations.
In effect, a Mother’s love will always supersede race-based hate.
A few culturally sensitive resources to legally refute white supremacy:
The Southern Poverty Law Center
The American Civil Liberties Union
The James Byrd, Jr. Center to Stop Hate
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
Hate should have consequences. I admire Michael's mother's tenacity.
I remember this. Was in the military at the time. I remember telling my commanding officer it was a great day for justice.