Lithonia in DeKalb County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Lynching in America
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Mob Violence in Lithonia
| | Community Remembrance Project | |
Photographed by Mark Hilton, April 25, 2021
1. Lynching in America Marker
Lynching in America. Following the Civil War, violent resistance to rights for African Americans, a need for cheap labor, and an ideology of white supremacy led to fatal violence against Black women, men, and children. Thousands of Black people were the victims of racial terror lynching in the United States between 1877 and 1950. Lynching emerged as the most public and notorious form of racial terrorism and violence, intended to intimidate Black people and enforce racial hierarchy and segregation. Many African Americans were lynched following accusations of violating social customs, engaging in interracial relationships, committing crimes, even when there was no evidence tying the accused to any offense. African Americans accused of these alleged offenses often faced hostile suspicion and a presumption of guilt that made them vulnerable to mob violence and lynching. White mobs regularly displayed complete disregard for the legal system, seizing their victims from jails, prisons, courtrooms, or out of police hands without fear of legal repercussions. Racial terror lynchings often included burnings and mutilation, sometimes
this page online
Mob Violence in Lithonia. After Reconstruction was abandoned in 1877, white mobs from Lithonia terrorized the Black community through lynchings that denied Black people their constitutional rights and equal protection under the law. On July 27, 1887, a white mob from Lithonia lynched Reuben Hudson near the Georgia Railroad stop in Redan. Mr. Hudson lived in Covington but worked in Redan. On July 26th, a white woman in Redan reported being assaulted by a "short and heavy set, and very black" man. Low on train fare that day, Mr. Hudson walked 11 miles from Redan to Conyers and boarded a train closer to home. A conductor presumed Mr. Hudson fit the woman's description and had him arrested in Covington. The next morning, as police officers escorted Mr. Hudson back to Redan by train, an angry mob of white men boarded
Photographed by Mark Hilton, April 25, 2021
2. Mob Violence in Lithonia Marker
Erected 2021 by Equal Justice Initiative, Dekalb Remembrance Project.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights. In addition, it is included in the Lynching in America series list. A significant historical date for this entry is July 27, 1887.
Location. 33° 42.623′ N, 84° 6.535′ W. Marker is in Lithonia, Georgia, in DeKalb County. It is on Max Cleland Boulevard south of Bond Street, on the right when traveling south. Located in William
Photographed by Mark Hilton, April 25, 2021
3. Marker located in William A. Kelly Park.
Marker can be just seen on left under tree branches.
Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Piedmont and in Metro Atlanta. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Bruce Street School (approx. 0.7 miles away); Rebecca Latimer Felton (approx. 2.7 miles away); The March to the Sea (approx. 3.4 miles away); a different marker also named The March to the Sea (approx. 4.9 miles away); Conyers Methodist Church (approx. 5.9 miles away); The Dinky (approx. 6 miles away); Unity Garden at Olde Town (approx. 6 miles away); "Flame of Freedom" (approx. 6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lithonia.
More about this marker.
Photographed by Mark Hilton, April 25, 2021
4. Lynching in America Marker along Max Cleland Blvd.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Leo Frank Lynching
Also see . . .
1. EJI article on the dedication of the marker. (Submitted on April 25, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
2. Lynching in the United States. According to the Tuskegee Institute, 4,743 people were lynched between 1882 and 1968 in the United States, including 3,446 African Americans and 1,297 whites. (Submitted on May 8, 2021, by Byron Hooks of Sandy Springs, Georgia.)
3. Local activists are promising to replace this marker that was stolen. Lithonia police believe someone stole the marker about a week ago. (Submitted on February 29, 2024, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
4. 2Ό min Video About the theft of this marker and its replacement. (Submitted on September 2, 2025, by Gianluca De Fazio of Harrisonburg, Virginia.)
Additional commentary.
1. Marker rededicated
A new marker was erected and rededicated in September
Photographed by Brandon D Cross
5. Mob Violence in Lithonia Marker
A Replica marker of one side is located at the Equal Justice Initiatives' National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama. The Equal Justice Initiative supports efforts to locally memorialize documented victims of racial violence and to educate communities about the history of racial injustice. Mark Hilton
— Submitted August 31, 2025, by Gianluca De Fazio of Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 2, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 25, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 2,027 times since then and 109 times this year. Last updated on February 28, 2024, by Gianluca De Fazio of Harrisonburg, Virginia. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 25, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. 5. submitted on October 16, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. Photos showing the blue and gold replacement marker • Can you help?
