Proposed memorial to honor lynching victims in Madison County

JACKSON, Tenn. — There is a new initiative to build a memorial to lynching victims in Madison County.

“These types of memorials only start the process of reconciliation, healing and moving forward from that era,” Kyle Dempsey, who presented the proposal, said.

John Brown, Frank Ballard and Eliza Woods were lynched in Madison County.

“Eliza Woods was lynched at a small elm tree at the time in 1886, I believe, at the north end of the county courthouse lawn,” Dempsey said.

Now, several organizations want to bring the community together to recognize these people.

The Jackson-Madison County Community Remembrance Project, working with the Equal Justice Initiative’s Community Remembrance Project program, wants to build the marker on the northeast side of the courthouse, and the property committee wants to bring the motion before the entire commission.

“The proposal was met and unanimously approved by the property committee, and it’ll go forward to the overall commission next week,” Dempsey said.

Leaders with the Jackson-Madison County Branch of the NAACP think this is the step Madison County needs to take.

“Often times we ignore the obvious,” said Harrell Carter, president of the branch. “This display of coming together, the community recognizing those victims of lynching that took place in the late 1880s, will give us a starting point.”

To see the full proposal presented at the Property Committee meeting, visit the Seen on 7 section of our website.