Racial Violence Throughout History

Racial Violence throughout History

Throughout the entire world racial violence has been occurring for as long as there have been different races. Racism itself is the belief that one race is superior to another (McCrum). Violence that is racially motivated is usually used to give one race power over another through fear (McCrum). The United States has a violent past that includes several wars and conflicts with other countries and even one civil war. This violent past not only includes wars but also racism motivated violence. Racial violence in the United States can be traced back to the days of slavery, throughout the Civil Rights era, and into modern America. The southern states used black slaves brought over from Africa to work for free. Many people in America during that time had the idea that whites were superior to blacks, and that idea has still not died in some peoples eyes. Two examples of racially motivated murders, historical and modern, are the murders of Emmett Till and James Byrd Jr. Both individuals were black males that came to an untimely death due to their race. Emmett Till and James Byrd Jr. were both murdered in cold blood, in similar situations, because of the fear and hatred that the color of their skin instilled in their murderers.

Emmett Till was a 14 year old black boy from a working class neighborhood on the south side of Chicago (Emmett Till). He was described as being "brash and fun-loving" and, despite a stutter, having a smart mouth (Emmett Till). In August 1955 Emmett went to visit some relatives in a town called Money, Mississippi (Emmett Till). One day when Emmett was down in Mississippi, he and a couple of friends were hanging out in front of Bryant's Grocery store (Emmett Till). Emmett showed a couple of friends a picture of a white girl who he claimed was his girlfriend back home (Emmett Till). They then dared him to go into Bryant's and talk to a pretty white lady who was working in the store (Emmett Till). Emmett went into the store, bought some candy, and as he was leaving said, "Bye baby" to the women (Emmett Till). Some witnesses say he whistled at her (Emmett Till). Three days later the women's husband, Roy Bryant, returned from trucking shrimp (Emmett Till). That night he and his brother-in-law, J. W. Milam, paid a visit the house of Emmett's grandfather, Mose Wright (Emmett Till). They put Emmett in the back seat of the car and drove him to the Tallahatchie River (Emmett Till). The men then made Emmett carry a cotton gin fan to the river, made him strip, beat him, gouged out his eye, shot him in the head and through him in the river (Emmett Till). When Emmett's body was recovered from the river it was so badly mangled that his grandfather could only identify him by an initialed ring (Emmett Till). Some people may think that a horrific race related murder like this is a thing of the past and could not happen it today's society, but sadly this is not the case.

James Byrd was a forty-nine year old resident of Jasper, Texas (Slate). He was born and raised in Jasper and everyone who knew him seemed to like him (Slate). He was divorce, lived alone, and was the father of three children (Slate). On June 6, 1998, Byrd had attended a couple of family gatherings and at the end of the night was walking home from his niece's bridal shower (Slate). One the way home Byrd was picked up by three white men, all supporters of the KKK (Slate). The men beat Byrd senseless, wrapped him up in a chain, and dragged him for three miles behind their pick up truck for three miles (). When they were done his body was in seventy-five pieces (Slate). His torso was found along side of the road in a ditch and his head, neck, and right arm were found more then a mile away from his body (Slate). Pieces of his body were scattered for more than ten-thousand miles of roadway (Slate). When the three men were down with Byrd's body it was so badly mutilated that it could only be identified by fingerprints (Slate). This murder was committed in modern day America, no more then eight years ago, where many people