James Byrd Murder Still Haunts Jasper, Texas

June 7th, 2008

James Byrd Murder Still Haunts Jasper, Texas.

Ten years ago today, James Byrd, a Black man from Jasper, Texas, was lynched by three White men who tied him to back of their pickup truck and dragged him to his death. It might be a decade later, but the pain that engulfed that east-central Texas town is just as real today. “The entire community would give anything if it’d just go away,” former Jasper County Sheriff Billy Rowles told television station KHOU. Local residents say that the incident, which drew national attention for its brutality as well as for its reminder of how far this nation still must go in terms of race relations, came as a shock even to residents of Jasper. John King, Lawrence Brewer and Shawn Berry were eventually arrested for the heinous crime, but even Black folks testified that they did not know the ring leader, John King, was a racist. The other two were White supremacists who had just gotten out of prison after a burglary rap. Letters they had written included such alarming slogans as “Aryans rule” and “white pride.” After investigating a gruesome blood trail three miles long, they learned that the three men had tied a rusty chain around Byrd’s ankles and dragged him to his death. It must have been a painful ride. “Like somebody on an inner tube behind boat,” Sheriff Rowles said. “Just bouncing.” In fact the ride was so rough that his head separated from his body, and his body was torn to pieces.

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fardxx Said on

Bro Jay, Kirc C is right! Too many of our woman follow the example of the she devils. The black queen is almost gone,she needs to be resurected into the Godliness that she was befoe her mind and morals were destroyed by the devil! I see black women siding with devil all the time, like the devil loves them lol! The whiteman has always lusted after our woman and his woman has and is always lusting after black men! I love my black sisters but most of them are lost in the darkness of white supremacy! My message to the blackwoman is top cover yourself, and seek knowledge. We cant do this without you my queens! Come back home and forsake the ways of the she devil! Black Power!



Tamika Said on

WHITEDUDE, MY BRO,IN CHRIST,…SOME OF US GET IT…AS FOR THE OTHERS…WE ALREADY KNOW,THEY WILL FIGHT EACH OTHER(OUR EMEIES)…,AND WE JUST KEEP OUR HANDS CLEAN,BY LIFTING UP JESUS’ MIGHTY COUNSELING NAME,EACH AND EVERYDAY ALLDAY. MAY WE IN JESUS’ NAME CONTINUE TO PLANT GOOD SEED IN GOOD GROUND,WE SHALL REAP A GOOD HARVEST. GOD WILL BLESS ALL HIS PEOPLE…WE JUST REAP WHAT WE SOW!!! WORLD, WHAT TYPE OF SEEDS HAVE YOU SOWN TODAY???



D-Mommie Said on

This story reminds us that racism is still very much alive and that we as a people need to keep that in mind when interacting with certain people in places. I know thats a sad thing to say but not all people and places are safe for us even in the year 2008, when we should be focused on more important thing like war and terrorism abroad not at home.



B Said on

I CAN RELATE TO YOUR ANGER KIRK!!! BUT WE HAVE TO CREEP LIKE “THE SPOOK BEHIND THE DOOR”. THEY GOT ALL THE GUNS BRO, SO WE HAVE TO HAVE A DIFFERENT PLAN OF ATTACK. NOT A BLACKS ARE PRO BLACK KIRK, WHICH IS SAD. BUT IT IS THE REALITY THAT CONSCIOUS BROTHERS HAVE TO FACE. SMART WORDS WITHOUT ACTION ARE USELESS!! PEACE IS ALL GOOD WHEN EVERYONE IS WILLING. BUT EVEN GHANDI HAD A BACK UP PLAN IF PEACE DIDN’T WORK. WE CAN’T AFFORD TO BE NIAVE LIKE IT IS ALL GOOD IN THE HOOD. WE WORRY ABOUT THE N WORD INSTEAD OF THE SKY HIGH MORTGAGE RATES WE GET. WE WORRY ABOUT RAPPERS TALKING ABOUT STRIP CLUBS MORE THEN THE QUALITY OF OUR SCHOOLS. I’M NOT SAYING THE N WORD IS COOL, STRIP CLUBS EITHER. BUT WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON WHAT COUNTS. LADIES NEED TO STOP BEING SO HARD ON BROTHA’S. HALLE BERRY’S RELATIONSHIP IS ACCEPTED. BUT TAYE DIGGS RELATIONSHIP IS TALKED ABOUT AND TRASHED. QUIT OPENING YOUR LEGS JUST BECAUSE A CAT HAS A NICE CAR, IF YOU TRULY WANT RESPECT. AND BROTHAS HAVE GOT TO FATHER THE CHILDREN THEY CREATE. I DON’T WANT TO HER ABOUT HOW CRAZY SHE IS AFTER YOU SLEPT WITH HER.
COME DOWN THOUGH KIRK WE WILL GET TOGETHER IN
DUE TIME.



Delance Said on

I wish the family peace ,and I’ll be praying for ya’ll.



Good ol'Shucky Said on

Hook up all the racist crackers to a semi-truck and hit the gas….let’s burn crackers on the pavement see how may parts they leave on the road.



cora Said on

A friend also said that on tall dating site ___Tallmingle.com___,which is a dating site for all tall friends and tall singles,especially models and basketball players.



Pamela Said on

I am one of hundreds, if not thousands of people who sent the family of James Byrd, Jr. a letter during the grief stricken month of June 1998. This gracious family took time to send me a handwritten note, which simply reads: Thank you very much for the encouraging thoughts. The Byrd Family



Pamela Said on

By the way, this note is postmarked from JASPER, TX on JUNE 29, 1998 and sits proudly in a frame on my desk at work. It is my way of reminding everyone who enters my office to never forget.



TheTruth Said on

I agree with Good ol’Shucky and there is a lot of white on black violence as well.

There are certain parts of the city I do not go, because of the color of my skin, and for good reason.

This Byrd thing is all media hype. Something to watch because is WAS shocking, and the network ratings went up.

And as for all you self-proclaimed hypocrites that think you are “better”, and that such and such will go to hell. You may find yourself shocked to find yourself standing right next to him, when it is all said and done. You MAY think you are righteous, but there is no guarantee you have it right.

This happens every single day. Man against man, whether is is black or white, or whatever.



scavenger Said on

To….Future Modelboy said on June 8th, 2008 that wrote the following..

One in particular had a sign at its city limits reading, “N*****s Don’t let the sun go down on you.^^^^^^^^^^ for the person that wrote that comment, ,y question is what city in tx are u referring to. Wow thats amazing and hard to believe, but i really would like to know what city that is in tx that has that sign up.

VIDOR Tx is your answer….As reading everyones statements about hate and especially hate in TX, many are singling out TX. There is hate, rascism, crimes, and murder in every state. As a person that lives in Jasper TX with my family, I am proud to live there. Yes, what happened to James should have never happened, but it did and it is a crime. When the KKK, Black Panthers, every law enforcemets, and the visitors showed up at the town square for a show. Everyone that was there to preach what they thought was right, wrong or their rights probably did not think about the other people that were affected by the rally. Every business around the court house sqaure had to shut down for the weekends. Many of these mom and pop busness owners depend on the income of their customers. No customers, no money. I am not racist and do not distinguish color. For all those who think they know what happened and felt like they know the truth, you probably don’t unless you was there from day one. Everywhere I go and people ask where I am from, I tell them I am from Jasper Tx, there is always a commit that follows. For all of you that made this town a spot on the radar now, I want to thank you for putting a weight on peoples shoulders now. I tell people the town is not like everyones says it is. There was a movie made called Jasper, Texas. For the people that have watched this movie, remember it is just a movie. Not everything in there is the facts.



Scotland Said on

I cannot understand why this is such a surprise in Texas where there is an infamous history of lynching people of black skin and just anyone who sympathizes with people of black skin



Sheri Said on

O.K. People! I have lived in Jasper for 44 years the men that did this horrible crime were not from Jasper and they had already served jail time for other crimes. We had a black mayor and administrator of the hospital,everyone gets along really well here. The media played it up for ratings. I know the Byrd family and they do not blame the people of Jasper So Why Should Outsiders…that no nothing of our city.



tasha Said on

I understand the fustration of my fellow “Black” sistas and brothers. But what I do not understand is why we still allow ourselves to be enslaved by our own stupidity. We encourage our children to be rappers and singers versus encouraging them to be lawyers, congressman, and other government/ political figures to attempt to change the way things are. I have a 15yr old cousin that has never heard of the Jasper incident nor has she heard of many of the things that we as teens learned in school in the 90’s. Yet our children can quote Lil Wayne and Flo Rider, etc. What we fail to realize is racism has taken a new form. Our women have been pushed to be the “men” in the house and the men have been babied to the point that they are not willing to even attempt to be respected “men” anymore.I say all this to Challenge my people to educate yourself and your children on life and what you can do to change the outcome to our favor.



Blaq Said on

you know…i’ve seen/heard/dealt with all types of racsism..from being the ugliest at one point to being the skinniest or the poorest. PEOPLE in general are IGNORANT!!!! BUT…i do agree that the majority of white america has an issue with the black race and thier dominant type postures. its intimidating to them. keep it real….DO ~?$*###$$ NO!!!! THEY MAKE DUMB…BUT SMART CHOICES THESE DAYS.IT ALL NEEDS TO QUIT THOUGH PEOPLE!!!! WE HAVE A BLACK PRESIDENT NOW AND ALL…QUIT IT!!!!!! LETS TRY TO MAKE THIS A BETTER LIVING ARRANGEMENT FOR US ALL. HELL..INDIANS HAD THE DOMINANCE OF THIS LAND AT ONE POINT,,,,WHAT HAPPENED? WHO ARE WE TO BE FIGHTING IN #~*% WE HAD TO GET BROUGHT OVER TO AS WELL AS (WHITES) TOOK?!!! SO…LOOK AT OUR PAST…TAKE NOTE!!! IT IS WHAT IT IS….LETS MOVE FOWARD NOW PEOPLE.WE HAVE A LOOOOOOONG WAY TO GO BUT IF WE START NOW…THE RACE WILL BEGIN.



Blaq Said on

OH TASHA…I LOVE WHAT YOU ARE SAYING ABOUT THE MEN MAKING BETTER CHOICES ON LIFE!!! YOU ARE RIGHT TO A DEGREE….I’M A MUSICIAN, THAT WAS MY CHOICE OF CAREER AND I’VE BEEN ABLE TO LIVE THAT WAY,,,NEVER BEEN A MILLIONAIRE, YET I HAVE BEEN A THOUSAND-AIRE..LOL. I SAY THAT TO SAY THIS..YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT SOME CHOICES IN LIVELYHOOD BECAUSE SOME DO IT JUST BECAUSE IT LOOKS COOL.THATS JUST A PART OF GROWING UP. ITS THE ADULTS THAT NEED TO MAKE SURE THIER KIDS UNDERSTAND THE OUTCOME OF FOLLOWING WHAT THIER FRIENDS SAY ARE COOL,MAKING SURE THEY STUDY,MAKING SURE THEY ARE AWARE OF THE POSSIBILITIES OF NEVER BEING A RAP STAR OR MAJOR LEAGUE BALL PLAYER…HELL THEY MAY NOT BE THAT DOCTOR/LAWYER!!! BUT MAKE SURE THEY REACH FOR A POSITIVE GOAL ON A CONSISTENCY!!!! NEVER GIVE UP. MAKE SURE YOU KNOW YOU WILL LIVE A BLESSED LIFE.



Tai Said on

you know…i’ve seen/heard/dealt with all types of racsism..from being the ugliest at one point to being the skinniest or the poorest. PEOPLE in general are IGNORANT!!!! BUT…i do agree that the majority of white america has an issue with the black race and thier dominant type postures. its intimidating to them. keep it real….DO @*~$%*@%# NO!!!! THEY MAKE DUMB…BUT SMART CHOICES THESE DAYS.IT ALL NEEDS TO QUIT THOUGH PEOPLE!!!! WE HAVE A BLACK PRESIDENT NOW AND ALL…QUIT IT!!!!!! LETS TRY TO MAKE THIS A BETTER LIVING ARRANGEMENT FOR US ALL. HELL..INDIANS HAD THE DOMINANCE OF THIS LAND AT ONE POINT,,,,WHAT HAPPENED? WHO ARE WE TO BE FIGHTING IN #?#? WE HAD TO GET BROUGHT OVER TO AS WELL AS (WHITES) TOOK?!!! SO…LOOK AT OUR PAST…TAKE NOTE!!! IT IS WHAT IT IS….LETS MOVE FOWARD NOW PEOPLE.WE HAVE A LOOOOOOONG WAY TO GO BUT IF WE START NOW…THE RACE WILL BEGIN.



Ted Said on

I am watching the movie Jasper, Texas in school right now and I had never heard of this story before because I was only 5 years old when it happen but it has made me think a lot. I am white and NOT a racist and I love black people so when I heard this it devastated me and me think how that after so years of African-American freedom and blacks and whites living together that this could happen. My thoughts and prayers go to the Byrd family.



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