James Talarico Texas Democrats rallied around their nominee for the United States Senate seat being vacated by Republican Sen. John Cornyn during their convention Friday. Democratic Texas state Rep. James

[View Article at Source]The Justice Department says records tied to firearm rights restoration decisions must remain hidden for privacy reasons. But if ordinary citizens are expected to petition for relief,

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Byrd Family PhotoJames Byrd Jr. was 49 years old when he was brutally murdered by white supremacists in Texas.James Byrd Jr. was known in Jasper, Texas, as a talented singer and trumpet player. But on June 7, 1998, he made national headlines for a different reason: his brutal murder at the hands of white supremacists.After accepting a ride from Shawn Berry, Lawrence Brewer, and John King, Byrd was chained to the back of their truck and dragged for three miles along a rural road. He was alive for much of the horrifying ordeal, but he died instantly when he struck a culvert and lost his head and right arm.Byrds killers then dumped his body near a Black cemetery and drove on to a party. They were arrested shortly after Byrds remains were discovered. Because Brewer and King were known white supremacists, Byrds murder was deemed a hate crime.Brewer and King were ultimately executed for the crime, while Berry was sentenced to life in prison. In 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law, expanding federal protection against violence based on gender, race, sexual orientation, and religion. This is the story of James Byrd Jr. and one of the most horrific hate crimes in recent history.Who Was James Byrd Jr.?James Byrd Jr. was born on May 2, 1949, in Beaumont, Texas, near the border of Louisiana. His father was a deacon, while his mother taught Sunday School. Byrd experienced racism from a young age: He was a member of the last segregated class at J. H. Rowe High School in Jasper.After graduating in 1967, he got married and had three children. He was arrested several times throughout adulthood for crimes like theft and forgery, but he was mostly known around town for his charismatic demeanor and his skill as a musician.Byrd Family Photo/Find a GraveJames Byrd Jr. loved to sing and play the trumpet and piano.When Byrd wasnt working to sell vacuums, he often performed at birthday parties and other events in the Jasper area. His sister, Betty Boatner, told local news station WLTX in 2018, He loved to sing, he would play the trumpet like nobodys business.Whether he was entertaining locals at events, visiting neighbors, or telling jokes from a front porch, James Byrd Jr. rarely met a stranger.Nobody could have imagined the violence that would claim his life.The Hate Crimes Of Shawn Berry, Lawrence Brewer, And John KingIn the early morning hours of June 7, 1998, 49-year-old Byrd was walking home through Jasper when he encountered Shawn Berry, Lawrence Brewer, and John King. Berry, who knew Byrd from around town, offered him a ride.But instead of taking Byrd home, the men took him to a secluded area and brutally beat him. They then tied a chain around his ankles, attached him to the bumper of Berrys pickup truck, and started driving down Huff Creek Road. Forensic evidence later suggested that Byrd was alive, conscious, and struggling to free himself for over a mile. Then, he was slung into a concrete culvert. He died instantly when his head and right arm were severed. Berry, Brewer, and King continued to drag Byrd for another mile-and-a-half before dumping his mutilated corpse at Huff Creek Cemetery, a historically Black burial ground. The men continued on to a barbecue as if nothing had happened. Google MapsHuff Creek Road, the winding rural route where James Byrd Jr. was murdered.Several hours later, six-year-old Marlon Forward and his stepfather spotted Byrds body and called the police. Officers followed a grisly trail of Byrds remains for three miles, marking 81 separate locations with splatters of blood, bits of clothing and flesh, or entire body parts.Investigators also came across several curious pieces of evidence, including a wrench with Berry written on it and a lighter labeled Possum a nickname John King had purportedly picked up in prison. A witness also reported seeing Byrd riding in the bed of Berrys truck on the night of the murder.Berry, Brewer, and King were quickly taken into custody, and because the police suspected that Byrds murder was a hate crime, they notified the FBI. FBI documents note that Brewer and King were believed to be associated with the Aryan Nations or a similar white supremacist hate group.As the investigation unfolded, it would become clear that James Byrd Jr. was murdered simply because he was Black.The Trials Of James Byrd Jr.s KillersShawn Berry, the 23-year-old man who initially offered Byrd a ride in his truck, told the police that hed had no intention of harming Byrd. It was King and Brewer, he claimed, who started the fight. Per the FBI report, Berry tried to stop his friends, but King told him, Youre just as guilty as we are. Besides, the same thing could happen to you.Because Berry cooperated with investigators and showed remorse for his actions, he escaped the death penalty and was sentenced to life in prison. The same couldnt be said for King and Brewer.Texas Department of Criminal JusticeJohn King, one of James Byrd Jr.s white supremacist killers.Both men had become involved in white supremacist groups during prior prison sentences. King alleged that hed been gang raped by Black inmates while behind bars, which further fueled his hatred. He was reportedly covered in racist tattoos, from Nazi symbols and the words Aryan Pride to a depiction of a Black man hanging from a tree.As reported by CNN, while awaiting trial for the murder of James Byrd Jr., King wrote Brewer a letter that read, Regardless of the outcome of this, we have made history. Death before dishonor. Sieg Heil!Texas Department of Criminal JusticeLawrence Brewer showed no remorse for the murder of James Byrd Jr.Lawrence Brewer, meanwhile, testified that hed joined a white supremacist gang for protection in prison. He also had tattoos of hate symbols, like a burning cross. The prosecution referred to him as a racist psychopath, and along with King, he was sentenced to death for his role in Byrds murder.Brewer was executed first, dying by lethal injection in 2011 after requesting a lavish final meal. The day before his death, he told Houston news outlet KHOU-11, As far as any regrets, no, I have no regrets. No, Id do it all over again, to tell you the truth.Kings attorneys tried to spare his life by arguing that Byrds death was simply a backwoods drug deal gone bad and not a racially-motivated murder, but he was also executed by lethal injection in April 2019. Pete Souza/Official White House PhotoPresident Barack Obama with the families of James Byrd Jr. and Matthew Shepard at the White House on Oct. 28, 2009.Byrds killers were brought to justice, but their crimes were not forgotten. In May 2001, Texas passed hate crime legislation a moment that Byrds mother, Stella, called the best Mothers Day gift that Ive ever received. As reported by the Houston Chronicle in 2010, Stella noted that Jasper had changed since Byrds death.Where my sons buried, there used to be a fence separating the Black folks and white folks, said Stella. They took the fence back down. Theres a park named after my son, and all colors play there.Stella also lived to see President Barack Obama sign federal hate crime legislation that was written in memory of James Byrd Jr. and Matthew Shepard, a gay college student who was beaten to death in Wyoming in October 1998. But while Byrds name is forever linked to this step forward in civil rights, those who knew him best remember more than his death. They hold tightly to their memories of a father, brother, musician, and friend who loved nothing more than to share his joy with others.After learning about James Byrd Jr., read about the murder of Balbir Singh Sodhi, the Sikh Indian man who was killed after 9/11 by a man who thought he was Arab. Then, go inside the tragic story of Emmett Till and how his death galvanized the Civil Rights Movement.The post The Shocking Murder Of James Byrd Jr., The Black Man Who Was Dragged Behind A Truck By White Supremacists appeared first on All That's Interesting.

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