By: Carla Barnes
26 year old African American Frederick Jermaine Carter was found hanging in a Mississippi tree in a white suburb on Friday, December 3, 2010. The USA Today first reported it as a suicide, however, the NAACP just recently contests the findings, they feel it may actually be a lynching.
Fredrick Jermaine Carter
Carter, who lived in neighboring Sunflower County, was helping his stepfather paint a building Wednesday. The stepfather went to get tools and when he returned, Carter was nowhere to be found.
His body was later found and considering his history of mental illness and no evidence supposedly of anything other than a suicide it was labeled accordingly. Results of an autopsy are still pending.
The FBI‘s Jackson field office is monitoring the situation. “The FBI has been advised of the situation in Leflore County,” spokeswoman Deborah Madden says in a statement. “We stand by to provide whatever assistance is necessary to ensure the integrity of the investigation.”
State Rep. Willie Perkins, a Democrat from Greenwood and president of the Leflore County branch of the NAACP, says that group also “will keep a high scrutiny and watch on any investigative report regarding what was the cause of death.”
“There are a lot of concerns there, No. 1 that this individual could not have (hanged) himself without the assistance of someone, if it’s being declared a suicide,” he says. “Why would someone from Sunflower County come to North Greenwood, the predominantly white housing area of Greenwood? Why would someone that far away come and hang themselves in North Greenwood by a river? That does not pass the smell test to me.”
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Another local elected official, state Sen. David Jordan, a Democrat, says the African-American community in Greenwood is “very much concerned.”
“This is in a white wealthy area, and black people just don’t go over there,” he says. “There’s not a single black that’s talked to us who believes that he hanged himself.”
Jordan, who is African-American, suggests there is a historical underpinning for blacks being suspicious about the specter of violence against them: Greenwood is about 12 miles from Money, Miss., site of one of the most infamous lynchings in U.S. history. In August 1955, Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Chicago boy visiting relatives for the summer, was abducted and killed after he allegedly made remarks to a white woman.
“We’re not drawing any conclusions,” Jordan says. “We’re skeptical, and rightfully we should be, given our history. We can’t take this lightly. We just have to wait and see.”
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Was there a suicide note? Did he show signs of giving away possessions or tidying up his affairs in the days or weeks preceding his death?
If not, then the probability of suicide is diminished. There is commonly a gesture of some kind before suicide.
Mental illness is not sufficient explanation for suicide. Churchill and many other famous names and high achievers suffer ongiong bouts of depression throughout life without actually taking their lives. And many psychotics are far more likely to kill others than themselves.
No, this is fishy.
I have read these stories and it take me back to the time and places in the south where I grew up in Arkansas and Mississippi. I hated the fact that we as a people had for hundred of years had to suffer at the hand of the unjust whites and nothing then was been done justice about it and nothing now is being done as much. We know that these death are not suicides and the law knows it too.We also know that the the kkk groups are in the law enforcement agencies,courts rooms, on the judges benches and we are working and serving in their businesses and buying their merchandise and marrying their sons and daughters and befriending them as though they are our friends. Now don’t misunderstand me not all whites are against blacks or others none white and many of them have spoken up, fought for the rights of blacks, lost their lives and family for standing up against these white devil enforcers, but it is very clear that justice is so unjust when it comes to the color of our skin. How many white boys, men and women do any of us hear that have committed suicides in an all black community hanging from a tree? We the black people need to rise up and speak out because it’s time. Jesus Christ and the great men and women like Martin Luther King and Rosa Park and many other gave their lives so that we may have freedom both to live free spiritually and naturally and that all men will have freedom equally. Dr. King if he was here he would still be fighting just as hard, but when they killed him, they knew Jessie Jackson was going to go to sleep and the leaders for us in today’s times are weaker than ever before. They are being bought out with these nonprofit program government money and kkk deals around the white man’s tables. I am sick of us being in their welfare system, criminal systems, and their drug selling slave systems that’s killing our youth, holding our youth on the modern day prison plantations and hanging them on trees! enough is enough! we all should not let this rest until we know that, we know righteous justice have been done to all that work together and hung Frederick Jermaine Carter. Next it could be one of us or our love ones. Prevention start now.
The list of young blacks found hanging in Mississippi, whose deaths have been hastily declared as suicides, seems to grow perpetually. In 2004, Roy Veal a black man who was fighting to keep whites from taking his family’s land in Wilkerson County was found hanging from a tree in Woodville, Mississippi. His death was ruled a suicide. In 2000, Raynard Johnson, a 17 year old black high school student, rumored to have been involved in an interracial dating relationship was found hanging from a tree in Kokomo, Mississippi. His death was ruled a suicide. Between 1987 and 1993, twenty two (22) black men were found hanging in Mississippi jails. All of their deaths were declared to be suicides. All of us are aware of the history of blacks being lynched in Mississippi. Between 1882 and 1968 there were 539 blacks lynched in Mississippi. Their murders were not solved because law enforcement officials made no effort to bring their murderers to justice. In many cases law enforcements were complicit in the murders. Finally, on September 18, 2010, a young Hispanic woman was found hanging from a tree near Philadelphia, Mississippi. Her death was declared a suicide. All of these death by hanging involving blacks and non-white should surely caused rational thinking people to ask questions. Insisting on a thorough and comprehensive investigation is the least any rational thinking person should do. The investigation of the recent hanging in Leflore County seems to be a rush to judgment, and the investigation seemed to be concerned with something other than uncovering the truth.
Solomon C. Osborne
thanks posting. i have reposted solomon’s comment with a link to your blog. kzs
ALL I CAN SAY IS WOW!!!!!
I’m sure we all know racism still exist but the Leflore County Lynching is over the top. It has to be a lynching for so many reasons:
Frederick was mentally challenged so my first concern is whether or not he had the mental capacity to kill himself. Why would he go to a predominant white town to do this? How did he get there?
It is too close to where previous lnychings were.
It is so sad to know that there is so much hatred towards non whites for no other reason then their skin color and cultural beliefs. Who is to say that someone deserves to live over another group of people. So much frustration and dissapointment is boiling inside of me right now. I need to turn this negative energy into something positive. Any one have any ideas?
I would like to coordinate a walk in the town of North Greenwood. Lets force this bubble of hatred to come to its head.
Its funny to hear people say ” Non whites need to get over racism because it was a thing of the past and people need to stop dwelling on it.
Hopefully they see now that it still exist in its purest form so there is no way we can let go of the past.
ITS NOT PAST. IT STILL OCCURS IN THIS PRESENT DAY.
The younger generations need to quit focusing on materlistic things and sexulaity and get back in the fight. We are such a moving force when we fight for our rights or put our mind to accomplishing something. Our Civil Rights Movement leaders want us to be so more far ahead then we are and they are turning over in their graves to know that our freedoms are not concerns of ous. If we don’t care the people full of hate will definitely not care.
Wake up people.
WE NEED TO STAND FOR SOMETHING OR FALL FOR ANYTHING.
I will do my part and tell everyone I know this story so we spread the word.
Solomon, I agree with you it’s time our people stop compromising and get busy doing our part in our cities, towns, communities and states to make sure our future generation will value their freedom and continue to work to keep it. Martin Luther King encourage us to rise up and take a stand for those things that was right and should be justice for all no matter what color your skin.We only have the subject of black history taught,honored and celebrated once a year in the schools of course we too can teach our children to value the history made by blacks but I believe black history should be taught daily and made an all school season subject because it would help remain us all where we came from and how we must maintain our freedom. The freedom we have today no the hip hop didn’t paste the path for freedom, no the rap music didn’t rap the slaves cross the lands, railroad tracts and rivers to find freedom,our freedom today was paid by much suffering and much blood battles.We must remember not one law written and enforced was to be justice that a black person should or would receive the law was not written for us but it was written against us. But the great blacks and some whites helped and fought for justice to be equal for all people. And still in the law system for people of color it is still an unjust system. Only we can change and make a different and keep in memory those who have past the torch down to us that we make keep running a race that represent how much we value and thank those who make it possible for us to have better jobs, education, housing and some to the best and finer things life have to offer in these days and time.
my heart goes out to this young man’s family. this is just disgusting beyond words!!!!
Typical cowards. The white man always mess with small black men. Emmit Till, now Frederick Jermaine Carter. COWARDS!!! Why the white men are afraid to harass the big black men. I know why: we don’t play that crazy mess.
This is very horrible; this man did not have to die at all. Racism is still strong and Mississippi and this needs to change. Many black people have been found hanging from trees there and nothing has been done. How can a person take a person life because of the color of their skin? I wish that this would stop and the people who are killing their will be held responsible for what they have done. Black people also need to stop killing one another and being so hateful towards their own race. Please just love one another. The crime needs to stop now. Shame on Mississippi.
We will be having a show on the subject January 9th at 8pm PST – 11pm EST, you all are welcomed to call in and share your opinions. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/entrepreneursonthemove/2011/01/10/frederick-jermaine-carter-hanginglynchingin-mississippino-suicide-according-to-the-naacp
The studio line is 718-664-6543 or call in via skype at “eotmradio”
Tragically ~ it’s all too likely that this was another lynching… the evil of racism is too deep among some in the US South that it’s not yet really gone away. And even all over our nation, there are people who continue to act out irrationally because we now have a biracial president. We “whites” have a LOT of work to do to help this country of ours get real about racism.
It will be interesting to see how Governor Haley Barbour, who just got hisself in a pile o’ trouble for exploiting the two sisters he’s got in prison there (for what might be yet another grievous example of too much punishment that doesn’t fit the crime)… interesting to see how he reacts to this appalling event in his state. We will be watching.
Well of course it HAS to be a suicide! after all, Haley~ our Governor, has Presidential aspirations for 2012 and he just went on record saying it was SO bad here in Mississippi in the 50s and 60s!
It’s very plausible that this is homicide but to follow it up with the leap that it is of anything more than an isolated horrific incident is absurd. To put it in crude statistical terms, TODAY’S young black males are overwhelmingly more likely to be victims of other black males than some boogeyman Klan rebirth.
Reminder for anyone that wants to chime in we are airing a show on the topic at 11pm EST on http://www.eotmradio.com – call in at 718-664-6543
this definately dont sound like a suicide to me. from lookin at the pics or have nothin surrounding him to help him get to the tree to tie himself up n the let himself fall its impossible he acted alone but more than likely itll be a cover up as we had one here in the berkshires bout ten yrs ago where a i cop shot n killed a 16 yr ol black kid cuz he ran n the cop thought he was amed n the cop got awat wh t n still works on the force today. do i belive he should have been charged for a wrgful death absolutely. this poor kid had someone do this to him n honestly if it was a hangin n he died from tha where does the inestagation go then back to suicide I HOPE N PRAY THEY FIND JUSTICE FOR THIS YOUNG MAN N HIS FAMILY OUTSIDE THE COUNTY FOR JUSTICE IF THEY FIND TH ASSILANT!!!!!!!
These type of incidents are directly associated to the media, not only by what is being said but also by what is not being said by the media. Two examples that immediately come to mind are;
1. The resent shooting of twenty people in Arizona, and
2. Dr. Gobles treatment of the Jews in WWII
If this garbage continues there will be many deaths other than that of Blacks. And these deaths can easily be avoided if only the media would show some journalistic responsibility.
I am personally asking all of the evil Whites to stop killing and mistreating Blacks and for all of the good and righteous Whites to insist that the evil Whites discontinue their horrible acts of cowardliness, they dishonor themselves.
I agree, “evil Whites” should stop killing and mistreating, but how about evil Blacks killing whites and Evil Blacks killing blacks. If this young man did not commit suicide (if) who is to say it wasn’t a black person who did this? Why is it always “whitey”?
This should be looked into and not forgotten. It doesn’t seem like, he came to work and decided to kill himself.. In this day and age, if you are not whie, watch out.
Why wasn’t this on the news nationally?
Gia, I agree. This was not heard of in Texas, as far as I know, but this should have been on every network. This is suspect and does not make sense,there is a need for an additional investigation. Who will speak for those who have suffered a GREAT and HORRIBLE injustice?
First I want to let you know I am white. Because of the nature of this incident, you should know that. I know there is a reason why the media doesn’t report these so called suicides. But in the case of this one, considering the man was mentally challenged, considering he was working with his dad, considering the distance between him and the tree limb, I just wondered why the law did not see that unless Mr. Carter was able to make a loop that would fasten itself to the limb that far away, and tie itself, someone else must have. I don’t see a ladder. Try it, try making and throwing a rope up that high that will connect itself. Some one did this to him. I am so sorry, and I am so sorry they get away with saying “suicide”.
At this day and age, I am truely shocked that this is going on. This precious man was truely guinuine from the heart. I recently found out about this cruel act and my heart hurts soo so much. At times people say you have to pray through things to get a clearer picture. All I can say is my knees hurt, I have been praying and thinking and praying and questioning, Why would this happen how could this happen. This event has hurt everyone in a way that is unexplainable. I’ll continue to pray for the day we all see the same color when we look at a human being. Peace be with all~
ok, writing from an outsider’s viewpoint here in Australia- this tragedy is a TRAVESTY 😦 What a farce that the damn local law enforcement ppl have ruled the whole incident a suicide when there were so many obvious clues to the contrary 😦 I damn well hope n pray that the FBI or whichever other agency gets involved after the state authorities’ WOEFUL lack of action, is able to get to the bottom of this mess n bring the damn cowardly bigots who did this to justice…
btw,what a tragedy to hear about the mass incidences of black men plus ppl from other minority backgrounds who were founded hanged in ms over the last few decades with their deaths farcically ruled as ‘suicide’ 😦 What ms and other Deep South states need is an inquiry process similar to what happened here in Australia 20 yrs ago with the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custory, which investigated at length why so many young Aboriginal men who’d been arrested were found dead while in jail- there NEEDS to be some similar level of accountability in Ms…
The future isn’t here.
This makes the human race look bad. I mean, it’s almost 2012 and people are still getting lynched!? Does it have to be the year 2020 for racism to be over? This has to stop now. Next thing you’ll know there’ll be flying cars and people will still be discriminated for the color of their skin.
Does that make sense?
What this tells me is that people are still living in the past. Those racist people who’s minds are in the 50’s and 60’s should be weeded out, not a harmless black kid.
This is sad. We still have people who are SO IGNORANT on mistreating others because the color of their skin. All I can say is whoever did it, better run because they will get caught. This is not slavery days, technology is so advance today that whoever the S.O.B. is or are, will get caught. You will reap what you sow. The person or people who are responsible for killing this young man will result getting the same ending(DEATH)!!!!!
I was so angry when I found out about this yesterday. It brought me to thinking that people in the hoods who shoot each other for no reason need to direct that energy toward injustice being done instead of us always crying, praying and asking why this keeps happening. It keeps happening because it’s allowed to happen. People don’t always have vengeful hearts and shouldn’t have to, but something needs to be done because obviously the law over there doesn’t care.
Lil Freddy was wat we called him at school… This makes no sense.. being from the north he had no clue… wat to expect from the ignorance of the white mississippi… he left to get away from violence only for it to still b his demise sum where else far from home… PLEASE WAKE UP…… WATCH OVER YOUR SELF AND LOVED ONES IN THESE AREAS… HE WASNT THE FIRST , BUT CAN WE TRY TO MAKE HIM THE LAST VICTIM OF SUCH HANOUS CRIMES….
KKK… for the fact you call your selves sons of GOD…. MAY HE HAVE NO MERCY ON YOUR SOULS, N ROTTTT FOR ETERNITY. IF WAS IN CHARGE I WOULD RIP LIMB FROM LIMBS
Why does it have to be a hated crime watch the first 48 on tv mostly all blacks killing people get a job quit selling drugs and blaming white people for your problems
Why does it have to be a “hate crime” , u ask???? ……Because it is thats why ! He was helping his dad paint & then he just DISSAPEARD ????? An investigation is needed! Black people do have jobs as well as education . Don’t throw a whole race into one category. “First 48 ” is a show that comes on t.v. It doesn’t count for a whole race, idiot ! White people sell drugs as well, & most white people don’t have jobs (THANKS 2 BUSH ) look at all the meth lab bust, WHITE PEOPLE. No one is blaming white people for anyones problems (that was your OPINION) . The problem is IGNORANT people like yourself who haven’t got a clue on what is going on around them. EXPAND YOUR MIND idiot !!!!!!! It’s a WHOLE WORLD out here !…… In case you are wondering what my race is, keep wondering a**hole !
O I see what’s goin on around me everyday. And you say don’t categories a whole race when your doing exactly that. sure black people got treated bad in the old days but we’ve moved on and I for one feel sorry for them, in no way was it right but it wasn’t you so why are you holding on to that move on and realize times have changed!! And sure probably 98 percent of meth labs are white people but how many homicides are associate with them compared to those of crack or cocain??????
The article said absolutely nothing about what was found at the scene. How can you make a judgement from looking at a picture? I hope it’s not a lynching, and I feel for this young mans grieving family. But to assume it is a lynching, when we, as the general public, do not have adequate information is dangerous. The NAACP has taken the first steps to look into this and the FBI has offered it’s assistance. Let’s see what they conclude before we jump on racial bandwagons.