The Lee County Remembrance Project held the 2024 Day of Remembrance on Nov. 17 at the Lee County Courthouse Square in Downtown Opelika. The event commemorated the lives of Black men who lost their lives to racial terror lynching in Lee County, AL. and featured spoken word and musical performances.
The event began at 2 p.m. with a welcome from Dr. Joan Harrell, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Programs at Auburn University, who asked the crowd to take a pause to give honor and respect to four Black men who were victims of racial violence in Lee County: Samuel Harris, John Moss, Charles Humphries and George Hart.
The Lee County Remembrance Project is a volunteer-based organization of Lee County citizens, partner organizations and faith groups that works to commemorate, educate and advocate for racial violence.
President and Vice President of LCRP, Parker Hamilton and Patricia Butts presented a resolution of appreciation from LCRP to Mayor Gary Fuller of Opelika, AL. for his devotion to the organization's mission of confronting the history of racial injustice.
Over the past four years, Fuller participated in the LCRP virtual Soul Collection Ceremony in 2020, guided the placement of Lee County's first historical marker acknowledging the victims of racial terror lynching and collaborated with the mayors of Auburn, Smith-Stations and Waverly in his signing of Lee county's first proclamation report for a Day of Remembrance for the victims of racial terror lynching.
Tessa Carr, director of the Mosaic Theatre Company of Auburn University, explained that "Remembering," performed by the students at the remembrance, was originally set to be performed at the Soil Collection Ceremony in 2020 before the event became virtual because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The company’s a cappella performance blended famous works like Langston Hughes and Lucille Clifton’s "at the cemetery, walnut grove plantation, South Carolina, 1989” and original poetry written by company members.
The mission of the Mosaic Theatre Company’s performance was not only to honor those who lost their lives to racial terror lynching, but also to emphasize the legacy of Remembrance Day. It sought to reflect on how the struggles in Black history connect to the present day.
The company’s cry and show “Hands up,” asked the audience to acknowledge the painful history of Black Americans and the fight against the trials they continue to face.
Led by artistic directors Carr and Abdul-Khaliq Murtadha, the group participants include Romelo Blackmon, Abby Bowling, Hannah Carstarphen, Daisha Flint, Emma Hruska, Kate Johnson, Berkley Peacock, Lily Sfida, Megan Starling and Michaela Williams.
Following the Mosaic Theatre Company, Camari Gray, a freshman from Opelika High School, sang “Stand Up” by Cynthia Erivo.
Guest speaker Jennifer Harris, senior project manager for the Equal Justice Initiative, explained Brian Stevenson started EJI in 1989 as a response to when 25% of all prisoners in the USA on death row were in Alabama. EJI's work expanded to prisoners facing Eighth Amendment violations and those who have been unfairly convicted and sentenced.
EJI is also committed to working outside of the justice system.
"Changing our narratives around the history of racial violence and injustice in our country, and changes in the very landscape that surrounds us,” Harris said. “Through story collections, historical markers and racial justice essay contest, the community remembrance project has helped communities across the nation reckon with tragic local histories of racial violence and unresolved trauma through public memorials and dialogue.”
LCRP in partnership with EJI held a racial justice essay contest open to all ninth through twelfth grade students who attended public schools in Lee County. Students were asked to write an 8,000-1,000 word essay on the impact of racial justice on America for a cash prize of up to $5,000.
All participants were awarded goodie bags by LCRP, and winners received award plaques. Participants included Lacey Arnett, Courtney Brewer, Octavianna Davis, Akeila Driver, Rowan Jordan, Chaejin Kim, Kyle King, Eileen Merrill, Hayley Ponds, Serenity-Dawn Pruitt and Imari Starks.
Third place went to Imari Starks, second place went to Akeila Driver and first place to Kyle King. Lacey Arnett won an honorable mention.
Kyle King, senior at Auburn High School, participates in his school’s football and show choir teams. Getting into 25 colleges so far, he plans to major in criminal justice or education because of his passion for educating people on the private stories of racial injustice that aren’t taught in the classroom and making the justice system in America fair for all.
Regardless of any societal limitations due to race or disability, King said, “Keep fighting.”
Before a closing prayer led by Carolyn Morton, Harrell posed a question of self-reflection for the audience, “Who brings you here?”
“George Hart brings me here. John Moss brings me here. Charles Humphries brings me here. Samuel Harris brings me here," Harrell said. "And together I would like for each of us for a moment, as we started, let us be silent and listen to ripples of the water representing Mr. Hart, Mr. Moss, Mr. Humphries, Mr. Samuels and for the thousands and maybe perhaps unnamed infants, children, teenagers, adult women and men names we do not know. Let us be silent.”
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Jennifer Santiago is a freshman in exploratory studies from Enterprise, AL. Santiago has been with The Auburn Plainsman since Fall 2024.
