African Americans Standing up to Hate in the Deep South

Event Description:

This presentation documents three specific instances where African American individuals were targeted by hate groups in South Carolina because of their determination to promote the civil rights of Black Americans. The first case involves Capt. James Williams (1830-1871) who escaped slavery and served in the Union Army during the Civil War. Because of his unrelenting commitment to promoting the rights of African Americans during Reconstruction, Williams was lynched by local Klu Klux members. The second case involves Rev. Frank Giles (1852-1933) who outspokenly denounced the mistreatment of Black sharecroppers by whites. In response to these condemnations, local Klu Klux members targeted Giles for assassination. However, the Reverend escaped being captured and killed because of the intervention of a sympathetic white named Paul Wilkes. The third case involves Mr. John L. Sanders Jr. (1914-2004) who owned a general store in the town of Paradise, SC during the Jim Crow era. He was targeted by the Klu Klux Klan (KKK) in the 1950s because of his persistent calls for social justice for all peoples. After Sanders was warned (most likely by John Barron Mills Jr.) about the Klan’s intentions, the civil rights activist was able to organize an effective defense against the KKK and thus, thwarted their plans. In addition to documenting the courageous stances of these three aforementioned African American activists, this presentation also acknowledges the actions of two sympathetic whites (i.e. Paul Wilkes and John Barron Mills Jr.) who took on considerable personal risks in order to support/protect black activists during this tumultuous period in American history.