Press "Enter" to skip to content

Letter: Acknowledge the wrong

Editor, Gazette-Journal:

We recently attended the dedication of the state historical highway marker in King and Queen Court House that memorializes James Horace Carter, an African American man who was lynched by a white mob there 100 years ago. He was accused of raping a white woman and arrested. En route to the jail transported by the sheriff’s deputies, the mob stopped the car, seized the shackled Mr. Carter, shot him ten times, and left his body in a ditch. Although a grand jury was convened, no one was ever prosecuted. A full house was present last Saturday in the courtroom where the dedication took place, including many descendants of James Horace Carter.

Dr. Sherrin Alsop, a member of the King and Queen County Board of Supervisors, spoke at the dedication ceremony. In the written program was a two-page resolution passed by the Board of Supervisors that included the following paragraph: “Whereas, the County of King and Queen condemns the lynching of James Horace Carter and ...

To view the rest of this article, you must log in. If you do not have an account with us, please subscribe here.