This Day in History: 1944-03-26

A group of white men brutally lynched Rev. Isaac Simmons, a Black minister and farmer, so they could steal his land in Amite County, Mississippi. Members of his family, some of whom witnessed his murder, fled the state, fearing for their lives. The white men responsible for lynching him successfully stole the Simmons’s land, and were never convicted for their crimes. Rev. Simmons was one of at least 14 Black people lynched in Amite County, Mississippi between 1865 and 1950, and one of over 6,500 Black women, men, and children who were victims of racial terror lynching in the U.S. between 1865-1950. Learn more.