This weekend, Newton County played host to a special and unique event that shed light on a tragedy that happened nearly 111 years ago.
The families of Dee Dawkins, Frank Johnson and William Fielder came to remember their ancestors who had been viciously and unfairly accused and punished for a crime that may or may not have committed. All it took was the accusation for the a mob of angry, white residents to capture and kill the African American freedmen on Oct. 10, 1908, near Good Hope Church Road, south of Hickory.
Dawkins and Johnson were discovered along the road, shot to death. Fielder, who was related to Jones, had been tortured and hung from a tree near his home.
“The three family members we are recognizing today lived during this turbulent period in our country,” said Dr. Darrell Fielder, great-great grandson of William Fielder. “The trials and tribulations of Dee Dawkins, Frank Johnson and William Fiedler mirror those of many African Americans who struggle to preserve their humanity against a crushing sea of injustice. 111 years later, it is entirely appropriate we honor them today and pass vital information to the next generation.”
The Appeal felt it necessary to share their story that we recorded the event and loaded the video on our website for you to experience this ceremony. We hope that you will take the time to watch it and listen to their story.
During the ceremony, descendants of the three victims filled large jars with soil from the ground their ancestors were killed. That red clay soil of Newton County will join soil from other lynching sites across the south at the Equal Justice Initiative museum in Montgomery, AL. The museum uniquely shows the different shades and colors of soil where lynchings took place across the country.
According to its website, the Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society. It’s an organization that is in its 30th year in existence.
These three were of more than 5,000 victims of racially motivated murders and lynchings that took place across the south from 1877 to 1950.
“I am, we are, the Johnsons, and we are here today to ask that you join us in recognizing and confronting our nations history of racial injustices and honor the members of our family ancestor Frank Johnson and the thousands of others,” Joyce Salter Johnson said during the ceremony Saturday. “We ask that you go forward from this place to your workplace, to your church, to your government and to your family, to publicly address these grotesque injustices and honor the memory of Frank Johnson, Dee Dawkins and William Fielder and any other resident who suffered such fate.”
Shedding light on incidents like this one in Newton County hopefully will serve as reminder of our past and how that we cannot allow injustices to continue in our country and world. We hope that you will take Mrs. Johnson’s advice to hear and see how we can end injustices in our city, county, state, country and world.
