Benjamin Brown (activist)
Benjamin Brown | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 12, 1945 |
| Died | May 12, 1967 (aged 22) near 1017 John Roy Lynch Street, Jackson, Mississippi |
| Resting place | Sweet Rest Cemetery, Pearl, Rankin County, Mississippi, USA |
| Occupation | [Truck driver] |
| Parent(s) | Ollie Mae Brown and Amhurst Brown |
Benjamin Brown (May 12, 1945 – May 12, 1967) was an African-American worker active in the civil rights movement, killed near the Jackson State College (now University) campus during a standoff between law enforcement and students.[1][2] Upon encountering the standoff (at the sidelines) after picking up a sandwich from a cafe to bring back to his wife, he was shot by two stray shotgun blasts from law enforcement firing into the crowd.[1][3] No arrests were ever made.[1]
In 2001, a Hinds County grand jury reviewed the case and blamed two deceased officers: Jackson police Buddy Kane and Mississippi Highway Patrolman Lloyd Jones. The Brown family filed a lawsuit and settled for $50,000 from the city of [[Jackson, Mississippi]. There has been no marker on the JSU campus recognizing the events that took place.[1]
Since then the Southern Poverty Law Center has commemorated Benjamin Brown as a civil rights martyr on a memorial in Montgomery, Alabama designed by Maya Lin.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e "No marker recognizes Ben Brown's killing on JSU campus". The Clarion Ledger. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
- ^ "Benjamin Brown". Find A Grave.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Civil Rights Martyrs". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
