Mobile in Mobile County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Restoring Justice / Lives Lost in The Segregation Era
Photographed By Jim Ellis, December 1, 2021
1. Restoring Justice
Note street sign in background above marker: "Honorary Rayfield Davis Way'
Inscription.
Restoring Justice, also, Lives Lost in The Segregation Era. .
Restoring Justice. Henry Williams, Johnny Williams, Ennis Bell, Theodore Wesley Samuels, Prentiss McCann, and Rayfield Davis all died at the height of the segregation era in Mobile. Mobile's Black community protested each of these deaths at the time and called for justice. None of the perpetrators were held criminally responsible., Decades later, The Civil Rights and Restorative Justice (CRRJ) Project at Northeastern University School of Law investigated these cases. In 2018 CRRJ brought together descendants of the individuals who lost their lives with the City of Mobile and the History Museum of Mobile to commemorate them and to reflect on their lives. The History Museum of Mobile curated an exhibition featuring materials associated with the cases. Tennessee Street where Rayfield Davis was killed, was permanently dedicated to him and the official proclamation issued by the City. These restorative justice measures sought to remind residents of the City and the country of the collective legacy of racial violence in Jim Crow Mobile. ,
Lives Lost in The Segregation Era. August 15, 1942. Henry Williams. Private Williams was traveling to base at Brookley Air Force when he asked the driver to keep to the schedule. The driver shot Williams to death as he disembarked. May 22, 1943. Johnny Williams. Williams disputed a transaction with Superior Cleaners, whereupon the manager shot him to death. July 28, 1943. Ennis Bell. Arrested for stealing food, Bell escaped from jail and went home, where detectives located him and shot him to death. April 15, 1944. Theodore Wesley Samuels. On Active duty, Private Samuels was home on furlough and in uniform when he was beaten and then shot to death by City and military police officers. July 8, 1945. Prentiss McCann. Private McCann was observing a dice game when he was shot to death by a police officer, who fired the fatal shots from his police vehicle. March 7, 1948. Rayfield Davis. Davis, 53 years old and employed at Brookley Field, invited a 20 year old white co-worker to share a beer. He retorted he did not socialize with Blacks; whereupon, citing President Truman, Davis asserted that Blacks would soon be equal under the law. The co-worker then beat Davis to death.
Restoring Justice
Henry Williams, Johnny Williams, Ennis Bell, Theodore Wesley Samuels, Prentiss McCann, and Rayfield Davis all died at the height of the segregation era in Mobile. Mobile's Black community protested each of these deaths at the time and called for justice. None of the perpetrators were held criminally responsible.
Decades later, The Civil Rights and Restorative Justice (CRRJ) Project at Northeastern University School of Law investigated these cases. In 2018 CRRJ brought together descendants of the individuals who lost their lives with the City of Mobile and the History Museum of Mobile to commemorate them and to reflect on their lives. The History Museum of Mobile curated an exhibition featuring materials associated with the cases. Tennessee Street where Rayfield Davis was killed, was permanently dedicated to him and the official proclamation issued by the City. These restorative justice measures sought to remind residents of the City and the country of the collective legacy of racial violence in Jim Crow Mobile.
Lives Lost in The Segregation Era
August 15, 1942. Henry Williams. Private Williams was traveling to base at Brookley Air Force when he asked the driver to keep to the schedule. The driver shot Williams to death as he disembarked.
May
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22, 1943. Johnny Williams. Williams disputed a transaction with Superior Cleaners, whereupon the manager shot him to death.
July 28, 1943. Ennis Bell. Arrested for stealing food, Bell escaped from jail and went home, where detectives located him and shot him to death.
April 15, 1944. Theodore Wesley Samuels. On Active duty, Private Samuels was home on furlough and in uniform when he was beaten and then shot to death by City and military police officers.
July 8, 1945. Prentiss McCann. Private McCann was observing a dice game when he was shot to death by a police officer, who fired the fatal shots from his police vehicle.
March 7, 1948. Rayfield Davis. Davis, 53 years old and employed at Brookley Field, invited a 20 year old white co-worker to share a beer. He retorted he did not socialize with Blacks; whereupon, citing President Truman, Davis asserted that Blacks would soon be equal under the law. The co-worker then beat Davis to death.
Erected 2019 by Dora Franklin Finley African-American Heritage Trail.
30° 40.114′ N, 88° 3.338′ W. Marker is in Mobile, Alabama, in Mobile County. Marker is on South Broad Street, 0.1 miles south of Shawnee Street, on the right when traveling south. The marker is located on the north side of the railroad tracks that run across South Broad Street. The marker is located on what was once known as Tennessee Street that ran alongside the railroad, today only a short portion of the actual street remains, approximately two blocks east down the railroad tracks from where the marker stands. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 862 S Broad St, Mobile AL 36605, United States of America. Touch for directions.
More about this marker. The marker was damaged/repaired and reinstalled in 2020. The repair is noticeable at the connection point between the sign and the top of the post supporting it.
Regarding Restoring Justice / Lives Lost in The Segregation Era.
Photographed By Jim Ellis, December 1, 2021
3. View of marker when traveling south on South Broad Street
This historical marker was dedicated on August 18, 2018, at the same time of a street dedication as "Honorary Rayfield Davis Way". The street location & marker are near to the ditch where the body of Rayfield Davis was found in 1948. Tennessee Street historically crossed South Broad Street at this same point. Five other men are recognized on the marker in addition to Mr. Davis. This marker and honorary street program recognize the "Racially motivated Killings in Mobile Remembered Decades Later - Honoring Six Mobile Citizens Killed in the 1940's". The program and dedication was sponsored by the Dora A Finley African-American Heritage Trail (https://www.dffaaht.org/), Northeastern University School of Law Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project (https://crrj.org/author/crrj/), The City of Mobile, The History Museum of Mobile (http://www.historymuseumofmobile.com/) and numerous others.
The final resting places (based on records as of 12/2021)of those honored on the memorial are as follows:
Henry Williams. Was buried in Bigsby, MS, cemetery unknown, (FAG#234405621)
Johnny Williams. St Elmo Cemetery, Irvington, Mobile County, AL (FAG#230417221)
Theodore Wesley Samuels. Oaklawn Cemetery, Mobile, AL (FAG#193625905)
Prentiss McCann. Antioch Baptist Church, Wayne Co.,
MS. (FAG#234393750)
Rayfield Davis. Little Magnolia Cemetery, Mobile, AL (FAG#155348741)
For additional memorial information see Find-A-Grave using memorial ID# referenced above.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 24, 2021. It was originally submitted on December 1, 2021, by Jim Ellis of Theodore, Alabama. This page has been viewed 388 times since then and 40 times this year. Last updated on December 23, 2021, by Jim Ellis of Theodore, Alabama. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on December 1, 2021, by Jim Ellis of Theodore, Alabama. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.
