In 1966, Claude Fuller, Ernest Avants, and James Jones murdered a Black man named Ben White. They’d hoped his murder would lure MLK to Mississippi, where they would be ready to assassinate him!
They’d used Mr. White as a pawn – but it didn’t work. And his son would make them pay.
The three men weren’t convicted, even after Jones confessed! Even after it was revealed they were KKK members. Jesse White’s grief for his father became rage – rage that would eat him alive if he didn’t take action.
In 1968 Jesse sued the KKK for his father’s death – and won! The judge ordered the KKK to pay the White family $1 million as reparations.
This was the first time the entirety of the KKK was held responsible for their members' actions. Well, they were SUPPOSED to be.
The family never received the money. But because of Jesse’s relentless fight, in 2003 Ernest Avants was retried and convicted! He died in prison a year later.
Taking 37 years to convict a murderer is not “justice.” Justice will be Black people never experiencing white violence or biased criminal justice systems.
Like Jesse White, when the judicial system favors white supremacy over justice for Black lives, we must challenge it and make our demands known – and be relentless. The fight still isn’t over.