Downtown in Columbia in Maury County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

The Defendants of 1946

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, May 12, 2026

1. The Defendants of 1946 Marker

Inscription. The names of men who were arrested and charged following the events in Columbia in 1946 are listed below. Twenty-five were brought to trial in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. Of those, 23 were acquitted by an all-white jury.

James Bellanfant • Saul Blair • Luther Edwards • Horace Gordon • James Morton • Calvin Lockridge • Webster Matthews • Early Scott • Gene Williams • Williams Bills • Clarence Brown • William Dawson • Lewis Miles • Meade Johnson • John Lockridge • John McKivens • Charley Smith • Julius Blair • Clifford Edwards • Robert Gentry • Paul Miles • Milton Johnson • Raymond Lockridge • Willie Pigg • Napoleon Stewart

Two men-Robert Gentry and John McKivens were found guilty, but a judge later granted new trials. Due to lack of evidence, the charges were eventually dropped.

Lloyd Kennedy and William Pillow were tried separately in Columbia later that year. Pillow was acquitted and Kennedy received a reduced sentence, allowing him to go free on bail. One man, Tommie Baxter, died before trial. Two others, William Gordon and James Johnson, were killed while in police custody.

Following the acquittals, charges against James Stephenson and his mother, Gladys, were quietly dropped. The landmark legal defense was led by Thurgood Marshall, Z. Alexander Looby, Leon A. Ransom,

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

and Maurice Weaver. Their work not only secured justice in Columbia - it marked a pivotal moment in the early struggle for civil rights in America.

Erected by CPJI.org.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights. A significant historical year for this entry is 1946.

Location. 35° 36.818′ N, 87° 2.05′ W. Marker is in Columbia, Tennessee, in Maury County. It is in Downtown. It is at the intersection of South Main Street and W 8th Street, on the right when traveling south on South Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 819 S Main St, Columbia TN 38401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Middle Tennessee

and in Greater Nashville.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper 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 Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A Turning Point (a few steps from this marker); Life in the Shadows of Freedom (within shouting distance of this marker); A Legacy of Justice (within shouting distance of this marker); The Forrest-Gould Affair (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Memorial to Black Maury County Citizens (about 300 feet away); Andrew Johnson (about 400 feet away); 1946 Columbia Race Riot / A.J. Morton Funeral Home (about 400 feet away); James Edwin R. Carpenter (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Columbia.

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, May 12, 2026

2. The Defendants of 1946 Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on May 25, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 14, 2026, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 14 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 21, 2026, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.