In 1886 brothers Ed and Charley Brown were accused by a white lawyer of committing a petty crime – spilling molasses while making deliveries to a white-owned saloon. Talk about PETTY.
They brushed the lawyer off, but later he confronted them again – and drew his gun!
During the ensuing shootout, both Browns were injured.
They pressed charges for attempted murder, which heightened racial tensions throughout Carroll County, Mississippi. On the day of the trial, enraged white residents grabbed their guns and marched towards the courthouse.
The mob barged into the courtroom, shooting and killing 23 Black people, including the brothers!
No one was arrested for the massacre – even after national demand to investigate the incident reached the highest levels.
A number of Black politicians pressured President Grover Cleveland for action – but they were dismissed.
While some newspapers condemned the violence and called for an investigation – apparently for the first time in state history – nothing was done. Mississippi’s white governor blamed everything on the Browns.
Once again, a white mob had played judge, jury, and executioner, and powerful people blamed the victims – tactics still used against our people today.