Hanging Bridge : Racial Violence and America's Civil Rights Century

Part I: 1918 -- The Most Atrocious Affair of Its Kind -- Not Made Safe -- Part II: 1942 -- The Way You Treat Your Niggers -- A Monument To "Judge Lynch" -- Part III: 1966 -- The Formation Of An Ugly White Crowd -- The Real Battle For Freedom -- Epilogue.;"Even at the height of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, when the clarion call for equality and justice echoed around the country, few volunteers ventured into Clarke County, Mississippi. Fewer still remained. Located just south of Neshoba County, where three civil rights workers had been murdered during 1964's Freedom Summer, Clarke lay squarely in what many considered Mississippi's, and thus America's, meanest corner. Local African Americans knew why the movement failed there. Some spoke of a bottomless hole in the snaking Chickasawhay River in the town of Shubuta, where white vigilantes had for decades dumped the bodies of murdered African Americans. Others spoke of a 'hanging bridge' that spanned that same muddy creek. Spanning three generations, Hanging Bridge reveals what happened in Clarke Country in 1919 and 1942, when two horrific lynchings took place, the first of four young people, including a pregnant woman, the second, of two teenaged boys accused of harassing a white girl. Jason Ward's painstaking and haunting reconstruction of these events traces a legacy of violence that reflects the American experience of race, from the depths of Jim Crow through to the growing power of the NAACP and national awareness of what was taking places even in the country's bleakest racial landscapes. Connecting the lynchings to each other and then to the civil rights struggles in the 1960s, when the threat of violence hung heavy over Clark County, Ward creates a narrative that links living memory and verifiable fact, illuminating one of the darkest places in American history and revealing the resiliency of the human spirit"-- Even At The Height Of The Civil Rights Movement In The 1960s, When The Clarion Call For Equality And Justice Echoed Around The Country, Few Volunteers Ventured Into Clarke County, Mississippi. Fewer Still Remained. Located Just South Of Neshoba County, Where Three Civil Rights Workers Had Been Murdered During 1964's Freedom Summer, Clarke Lay Squarely In What Many Considered Mississippi's, And Thus America's, Meanest Corner. Local African Americans Knew Why The Movement Failed There. Some Spoke Of A Bottomless Hole In The Snaking Chickasawhay River In The Town Of Shubuta, Where White Vigilantes Had For Decades Dumped The Bodies Of Murdered African Americans. Others Spoke Of A 'hanging Bridge' That Spanned That Same Muddy Creek. Spanning Three Generations, Hanging Bridge Reveals What Happened In Clarke Country In 1919 And 1942, When Two Horrific Lynchings Took Place, The First Of Four Young People, Including A Pregnant Woman, The Second, Of Two Teenaged Boys Accused Of Harassing A White Girl. Jason Ward's Painstaking And Haunting Reconstruction Of These Events Traces A Legacy Of Violence That Reflects The American Experience Of Race, From The Depths Of Jim Crow Through To The Growing Power Of The Naacp And National Awareness Of What Was Taking Places Even In The Country's Bleakest Racial Landscapes. Connecting The Lynchings To Each Other And Then To The Civil Rights Struggles In The 1960s, When The Threat Of Violence Hung Heavy Over Clark County, Ward Creates A Narrative That Links Living Memory And Verifiable Fact, Illuminating One Of The Darkest Places In American History And Revealing The Resiliency Of The Human Spirit-- Part I: 1918 -- The Most Atrocious Affair Of Its Kind -- Not Made Safe -- Part Ii: 1942 -- The Way You Treat Your Niggers -- A Monument To Judge Lynch -- Part Iii: 1966 -- The Formation Of An Ugly White Crowd -- The Real Battle For Freedom -- Epilogue. Jason Morgan Ward. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "Even at the height of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, when the clarion call for equality and justice echoed around the country, few volunteers ventured into Clarke County, Mississippi. Fewer still remained. Located just south of Neshoba County, where three civil rights workers had been murdered during 1964's Freedom Summer, Clarke lay squarely in what many considered Mississippi's, and thus America's, meanest corner. Local African Americans knew why the movement failed there. Some spoke of a bottomless hole in the snaking Chickasawhay River in the town of Shubuta, where white vigilantes had for decades dumped the bodies of murdered African Americans. Others spoke of a 'hanging bridge' that spanned that same muddy creek. Spanning three generations, Hanging Bridge reveals what happened in Clarke Country in 1919 and 1942, when two horrific lynchings took place, the first of four young people, including a pregnant woman, the second, of two teenaged boys accused of harassing a white girl. Jason Ward's painstaking and haunting reconstruction of these events traces a legacy of violence that reflects the American experience of race, from the depths of Jim Crow through to the growing power of the NAACP and national awareness of what was taking places even in the country's bleakest racial landscapes. Connecting the lynchings to each other and then to the civil rights struggles in the 1960s, when the threat of violence hung heavy over Clark County, Ward creates a narrative that links living memory and verifiable fact, illuminating one of the darkest places in American history and revealing the resiliency of the human spirit"-- Provided by publisher Lying just south of Neshoba County, where three civil rights workers were murdered during Freedom Summer, Clarke County lay squarely in Mississippi's and America's meanest corner. Even at the height of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, when the clarion call for equality and justice echoed around the country, few volunteers ventured there. Fewer still remained. Local African Americans knew why the movement had taken so long to reach them. Some spoke of a bottomless pit in the snaking Chickasawhay River in the town of Shubuta, into which white aggressors dumped bodies. Others pointed to an old steel-framed bridge across that same muddy creek.Spanning three generations, Hanging Bridge reconstructs two wartime lynchings the 1918 killing of two young men and two pregnant women, and the 1942 slaying of two adolescent boys that propped up Mississippi's white supremacist regime and hastened its demise. These organized murders reverberated well into the 1960s, when local civil rights activists again faced off against racial terrorism and more refined forms of repression.Connecting the lynchings at Hanging Bridge to each other and then to Civil Rights-era struggles over segregation, voting, poverty, Black Power, and Vietnam, Jason Morgan Ward's haunting book traces the legacy of violence that reflects the American experience of race, from the depths of Jim Crow to the emergence of a national campaign for racial equality. In the process, it creates a narrative that links living memory and meticulous research, illuminating one of the darkest places in American history and revealing the resiliency of the human spirit. Lying just south of Neshoba County, where three civil rights workers were murdered during Freedom Summer, Clarke County lay squarely in Mississippi's — and America's — meanest corner. Even at the height of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, when the clarion call for equality and justice echoed around the country, few volunteers ventured there. Fewer still remained. Local African Americans knew why the movement had taken so long to reach them. Some spoke of a bottomless pit in the snaking Chickasawhay River in the town of Shubuta, into which white aggressors dumped bodies. Others pointed to an old steel-framed bridge across that same muddy creek. Spanning three generations, Hanging Bridge reconstructs two wartime lynchings — the 1918 killing of two young men and two pregnant women, and the 1942 slaying of two adolescent boys — that propped up Mississippi's white supremacist regime and hastened its demise. These organized murders reverberated well into the 1960s, when local civil rights activists again faced off against racial terrorism and more refined forms of repression. Connecting the lynchings at Hanging Bridge to each other and then to Civil Rights-era struggles over segregation, voting, poverty, Black Power, and Vietnam, Jason Morgan Ward's haunting book traces the legacy of violence that reflects the American experience of race, from the depths of Jim Crow to the emergence of a national campaign for racial equality. In the process, it creates a narrative that links living memory and meticulous research, illuminating one of the darkest places in American history and revealing the resiliency of the human spirit.