Content Warning: This story contains violent imagery and descriptions of lynching.
Zachariah Walker was in the process of building the life he dreamed of. He was the newest steel worker in town, preparing for the day his children and wife would join him. However, being new in town wasn’t so great.
While he’d made friends with those who worked with him, he’d not yet had the chance to connect to the Black community fully. This disconnect was unfortunate for Walker. Why?
Walker played a joke on his coworkers – and was attacked by a white security guard! When the guard pulled a gun, Walker fought him for it. The gun went off, killing the guard. Based on what happened next, it also opened the gates of hell.
Despite it being a Northern town, thousands of white steel workers from the town showed up to lynch him! He knew he was going to die, so he attempted to shoot himself in the head – but missed. Walker was thrown onto an open fire by the white mob, but HE STILL SURVIVED!
He finally died when white terrorists chopped his burning flesh from his bones and used the singed pieces for souvenirs.
Walker’s gruesome death mobilized Black communities to protect themselves. We won’t always be successful in our self-preservation – white cruelty can sometimes feel inexhaustible. But we must always try!