Remembering Willie Earle

Seventy-four years ago today in Greenville 24-year-old Willie Earle was brutally killed. Earle is the last known victim of racially motivated lynching in South Carolina. His death and the acquittal of his accused killers made international news in 1947.
#GreenvilleSC

[@micregil]

One of the first jobs I ever had, I was a bus boy at the Poinsett hotel, that was over fifty years ago. There's a scary story associated with Willie's death, the story goes that one of the cab drivers got a call to pick up a fair and take them to Pickens, when the cab driver picked up his fair, he recognized Willie, he was able to maintain his composure but was terrified, when he got to where he was supposed to drop off his fair, Willie was gone, there was no one in the back seat, supposedly the cab driver went home that night and told his wife, "I seen that man tonight," his wife asked "which man," and he said "that man we killed."

[@Carolinas_SweetTea]

Thank you for providing this story. I moved to Greenville SC almost 5 years ago. I will be doing my research on this! ❤️ Whatever is done in the 🌑 dark will come to 🕯️ light 🙏

[@greenvillesc]

We are so excited that you are part of our City! We hope you continue to enjoy it!

[@MelanatednNature]

Yes it will

[@Bull585]

Go back yankee

[@neal6473]

Another history they keep from me when I was in school.

[@jasperjohnson5898]

The teaching of Critical Race Theory [CRT] would recognize the Willie Earle story and others like it, as necessary studies worthy of being taught to our youth. It is vital that our American history be fully encompassing of [every] historical aspect good or bad.

[@JC-DoGood]

I somehow stumbled upon that article a few months ago and wanted to research it more. I was shocked that the trial where the men who were acquitted was not that long ago. I was always taught these happened hundreds of years ago not less than 100.

[@exitingthematrix6302]

Those involved will be cursed generationally. What comes around goes around. I'm from the Caribbean but I think the African Americans in America that can link their ancestors to the slave trade here deserve some compensation. The history of abuse is deep here for them

[@lillianpeterson3]

So important to learn our history.

[@austinjonestyler]

thank you for the truth. y'allidarity forever.

[@StephenFowler-te3uo]

Interesting is that the man who represented the 31 was John Bolton Culbertson. He would later be known as lawyer who represented some civil rights defendants. His three sons live in Greenville. I worked with their sister who just passed.

[@StephenFowler-te3uo]

Another man was Thomas Keith who was lunched around 1900 in Greenville near Furman university. The story goes he had been drinking and slept it off in the room with his employers young daughter and son. His boss found him there, fired him and insisted he leave the area. Before he could leave, a mob beat and stoned him to death and then threw his body in the saluda river. There is a marker on the property of Furman university near mt Sinai Baptist church. No one was ever charged.

[@INFINITESYKOSIS]

there is no healing this history

[@kikio-rq9kx]

Are any of his murderers still alive?

[@maxelldenomie6131]

Poor man...sigh...

[@mach6893]

If there's any silver lining, South Carolina was one of the first states in the South to outlaw lynching in 1950. Fritz Hollings wrote a bill that made lynching a capital offense punishable by execution.

[@kikio-rq9kx]

Who are their descendants? Addresses please.

[@blueskyalldayeveryday]

Are you even serious? You’re no better than the men who did it. Shame on you.

[@bernettebush2345]

SO So 🙏 RIP

[@MelanatednNature]

👀 😲

[@jonsmith848]

31 lowlifes

[@kikio-rq9kx]

Their disgusting

[@kevinjones418]

My question is why they did not go find a white man and return the favor is my question

[@Bull585]

Remembering what ? A murderer????