A former sheriff's deputy in Mississippi has just been arrested for the murders of two 19-year-old black men who were beaten and thrown alive into the Mississippi River in 1964.
The killings of blacks was still sanctioned by the South in the 60s and white murderers were routinely set free. But times they are achanging and several murderers have been belatedly brought to justice in recent years, including the man who assassinated NAACP activist Medgar Evers in 1963.
That's one I particularly remember because I was putting out the front page of the Palm Beach Times at the time and I put the story, including Medgar Evers picture, on page 1.
When the papers were first brought to the newsroom, one of the old-timers erupted in fury. He called me some choice names and informed me that was the first time a picture of a "nigger" had ever been on the front page of the paper.
I heard nothing more about it from my superiors, and I don't know whether that was true. I rather hope it was. I'd like to think I struck some small blow for racial justice, because I didn't do anything else during the civil rights movement.
Posted by Deck at January 24, 2007 04:52 PM