Moore's Ford Memorial Committee getting government approval and involvement
Son of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson's Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Rich Rusk just sent this letter collection of articles from the Walton Tribune newspaper:
Dear Moore's Ford friends,
In an April 5, page one story, the Walton Tribune published news that a letter from Walton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Kevin Little has "called for justice in the Moore's Ford lynching."
"The proclamation is believed to be the first such action for any governing body in the county," wrote the Tribune. Managing Editor Brian Arrington also wrote a column calling upon other Walton County leaders to step up, and thanking Mr. Little for having done so. Both stories are attached below.
This action came one week after our March 28 film screening/public forum in Monroe. Remember the name of our event? "When justice rolls down..."
Folks, I am thinking of the hundreds of phone calls and emails over the years, personal visits and pleas, urging Oconee and Walton County leadership and good citizens everywhere to take on the Moore's Ford challenge. We have had some help in the past; Oconee County BOC Chairman Melvin Davis wrote a strong letter of endorsement for March 28 (also in 2005), which surely helped. Police chiefs and sheriffs, BOC chairmen and mayors, school superintendents joined our MFMC honorary board years ago, and this helped the MFMC for sure. I am especially thinking of Bobby Howard and his 41 years of courageous witness for justice, also his colleague Tyrone Brooks (Tyrone just led another march to the bridge - see below). Also, Susan Tate's sustained efforts over the years to involve Walton County's older white residents, whom she called "my people" - Susan was raised in Walton County. Local news media, especially the Tribune and Athens Banner Herald, have been superb in their coverage and witness. God only knows what Kirklyn Dixon, MFMC vice chairman and Walton County commissioner, has been up to in recent days and weeks.
The list goes on and on. Think of film maker Keith Beauchamp and his inspired film making on Moore's Ford. Also, eight FBI agents who bore witness at our March 28 event, along with Cynthia Deitle, Vernon Keenan, Paige Fitzgerald and other guests. Think of Penny and Roger and Herman; also our departed members - John Culbreath, Joe Ingram, Lewis Cody, Cecil Harbin, Ray Durham and others. Think of Woody Beck's ten years of lonely research, before we ever came together. Think of retired FBI agent Bill Fleming and his four trips to Walton County, on his own dime. Think of ex-Klansman Elwin Wilson and his journey to Monroe...
Think of a young man named Barack Obama, whose refrain "yes we can" carried him all the way to the White House.
When things like this happen, we can't claim credit...but know that we have played a role.
We can especially thank Chairman Kevin Little (and fellow commissioners) for his letter. This is huge in Walton County. He was the one who signed his name to it. Moore's Ford is tough history, y'all.
We are blessed.
Rich
County officials call for justice
By Brian Arrington
The Walton Tribune
Published April 5, 2009
WALTON COUNTY — The Board of Commissioners have released a proclamation calling for justice in the Moore’s Ford lynching.“The lynching of Roger and Dorothy Malcom and George and Mae Murray Dorsey must never be forgotten,” said a letter from Walton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Kevin Little to Rick Rusk, secretary of the Moore’s Ford Memorial Committee. The letter was released Thursday. “The individuals who are responsible for these crimes should be held accountable for their actions.The proclamation is believed to be the first such action for any governing body in the county.“The Walton County Board of Commissioners encourages anyone who may have information that could bring resolution to these murders to come forward. The Dorsey and Malcom families are entitled to justice,” the letter reads.On July 25, 1946, a mob of men shot and killed the two black couples at the Moore's Ford Bridge on the border of Walton and Oconee counties. “It’s great news that Walton County's top elected leader has strongly urged prosecution in this case,” Rusk said. The letter comes on the heels of a forum in Monroe March 28 at which County Commissioner Kirklyn Dixon read a similar proclamation from Oconee County Chairman Melvin Davis calling for justice in the lynching.Dixon said then, Little wanted to attend the event and a similar proclamation was being worked on by the Walton contingent.
Walton leaders stand up!
By Brian Arrington
The Walton Tribune
Published April 5, 2009
On March 28, Walton County Commissioner Kirklyn Dixon read a proclamation from the Oconee County Board of Commissioners which called for justice in the Moore’s Ford Lynching of 1946 at a forum in Monroe.
By now we all know the horrendous story — and we all should.
On July 25, 1946, a mob of men shot and killed two black couples — Roger and Dorothy Malcom and George and Mae Murray Dorsey — at the Moore's Ford Bridge on the border of Walton and Oconee counties. Despite numerous witnesses, national outcry, outrage by then-President Harry Truman and an FBI probe, no one has been prosecuted for the crime.
It wasn’t what Dixon read that was most important. It was what he didn’t read — a similar proclimation from the Walton County Board of Commissioners — that was.
However, that all changed Thursday.
“The lynching of Roger and Dorothy Malcom and George and Mae Murray Dorsey must never be forgotten,” said a letter from Walton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Kevin Little to Rick Rusk, secretary of the Moore’s Ford Memorial Committee. “The individuals who are responsible for these crimes should be held accountable for their actions. The Walton County Board of Commissioners encourages anyone who may have information that could bring resolution to these murders to come forward. The Dorsey and Malcom families are entitled to justice.”
While no one has come forward to face prosecution in the cowardly crime, the elected leaders of this county have shown they no longer will sit by silently as repeated calls for justice go unanswered.
It is important for these killers to know that they are not being supported by their government.
It was a great day when Walton’s elected leaders stood up and acknowledge the tragic events of July 1946.
It will help lift the veil of silence that continues to reign over the county.
Marchers remember King, 1946 lynching
By Stephen Milligan
The Walton Tribune
Published April 8, 2009
WALTON COUNTY -— As people across the country remembered the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., nearly a hundred people descended on Walton County to remember his legacy with a march to the Moore’s Ford Bridge.
Led by state Rep. Tyrone Brooks, president of the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials, people filled the pews at First African Baptist Church to hear speakers remember both King and the events at Moore’s Ford, where two black couples — Roger and Malcom and George and Mae Murray Dorsey — were killed by a mob of white men.
“Your being here makes a difference,” said Bobby Howard, a local activist from Social Circle who continues to push to find leads in the never-solved lynching. “I tell you, Walton County needs it. We are fighting against the hate and racism that caused this. We are continuing the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”
King, who was assassinated by James Earl Ray on April 4, 1968, had expressed interest in visiting Moore’s Ford after his trip to Memphis for the sanitation workers’ strike but never left the city due to the assassin’s bullet. For the people gathered to remember the civil rights leader, the annual march to the bridge serves as a fulfillment of that mission to draw attention to the 1946 tragedy.
“We must seek justice,” said the Rev. Nathan Durham, pastor of the New Beginnings Church in Monroe. “We are thankful for the words and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. There is a part for each of us to do in seeking justice. All we need is to have a little faith.”
Brooks, who leads the annual march on the bridge as well as helps organize the annual re-enactment of the lynching in July, said the event was an important part of searching for justice.
“The voices of Roger and Dorothy and Mae Murray and George are calling for us to continue seeking justice,” Brooks said. “God wanted us here in Walton County for a reason. We cannot leave here until justice has been served to the Malcoms and the Dorseys, their descendants, this community and this nation.”
After leaving the church, the activists drove to the Moore’s Ford historic marker and then began the two-mile march to the bridge on the Walton-Oconee county border.
There, the crowd sang spirituals and listened to various speakers celebrate the life of King and reiterate the need for justice in the unsolved lynching.
“This was a horrific and dehumanizing event we can never forget,” said Ed Dubose, president of the Georgia NAACP.
Michael Thurmond, state labor commissioner, also spoke at the event.
“We are going to fight for justice to be done,” Thurmond said.
Dear Moore's Ford friends,
In an April 5, page one story, the Walton Tribune published news that a letter from Walton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Kevin Little has "called for justice in the Moore's Ford lynching."
"The proclamation is believed to be the first such action for any governing body in the county," wrote the Tribune. Managing Editor Brian Arrington also wrote a column calling upon other Walton County leaders to step up, and thanking Mr. Little for having done so. Both stories are attached below.
This action came one week after our March 28 film screening/public forum in Monroe. Remember the name of our event? "When justice rolls down..."
Folks, I am thinking of the hundreds of phone calls and emails over the years, personal visits and pleas, urging Oconee and Walton County leadership and good citizens everywhere to take on the Moore's Ford challenge. We have had some help in the past; Oconee County BOC Chairman Melvin Davis wrote a strong letter of endorsement for March 28 (also in 2005), which surely helped. Police chiefs and sheriffs, BOC chairmen and mayors, school superintendents joined our MFMC honorary board years ago, and this helped the MFMC for sure. I am especially thinking of Bobby Howard and his 41 years of courageous witness for justice, also his colleague Tyrone Brooks (Tyrone just led another march to the bridge - see below). Also, Susan Tate's sustained efforts over the years to involve Walton County's older white residents, whom she called "my people" - Susan was raised in Walton County. Local news media, especially the Tribune and Athens Banner Herald, have been superb in their coverage and witness. God only knows what Kirklyn Dixon, MFMC vice chairman and Walton County commissioner, has been up to in recent days and weeks.
The list goes on and on. Think of film maker Keith Beauchamp and his inspired film making on Moore's Ford. Also, eight FBI agents who bore witness at our March 28 event, along with Cynthia Deitle, Vernon Keenan, Paige Fitzgerald and other guests. Think of Penny and Roger and Herman; also our departed members - John Culbreath, Joe Ingram, Lewis Cody, Cecil Harbin, Ray Durham and others. Think of Woody Beck's ten years of lonely research, before we ever came together. Think of retired FBI agent Bill Fleming and his four trips to Walton County, on his own dime. Think of ex-Klansman Elwin Wilson and his journey to Monroe...
Think of a young man named Barack Obama, whose refrain "yes we can" carried him all the way to the White House.
When things like this happen, we can't claim credit...but know that we have played a role.
We can especially thank Chairman Kevin Little (and fellow commissioners) for his letter. This is huge in Walton County. He was the one who signed his name to it. Moore's Ford is tough history, y'all.
We are blessed.
Rich
County officials call for justice
By Brian Arrington
The Walton Tribune
Published April 5, 2009
WALTON COUNTY — The Board of Commissioners have released a proclamation calling for justice in the Moore’s Ford lynching.“The lynching of Roger and Dorothy Malcom and George and Mae Murray Dorsey must never be forgotten,” said a letter from Walton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Kevin Little to Rick Rusk, secretary of the Moore’s Ford Memorial Committee. The letter was released Thursday. “The individuals who are responsible for these crimes should be held accountable for their actions.The proclamation is believed to be the first such action for any governing body in the county.“The Walton County Board of Commissioners encourages anyone who may have information that could bring resolution to these murders to come forward. The Dorsey and Malcom families are entitled to justice,” the letter reads.On July 25, 1946, a mob of men shot and killed the two black couples at the Moore's Ford Bridge on the border of Walton and Oconee counties. “It’s great news that Walton County's top elected leader has strongly urged prosecution in this case,” Rusk said. The letter comes on the heels of a forum in Monroe March 28 at which County Commissioner Kirklyn Dixon read a similar proclamation from Oconee County Chairman Melvin Davis calling for justice in the lynching.Dixon said then, Little wanted to attend the event and a similar proclamation was being worked on by the Walton contingent.
Walton leaders stand up!
By Brian Arrington
The Walton Tribune
Published April 5, 2009
On March 28, Walton County Commissioner Kirklyn Dixon read a proclamation from the Oconee County Board of Commissioners which called for justice in the Moore’s Ford Lynching of 1946 at a forum in Monroe.
By now we all know the horrendous story — and we all should.
On July 25, 1946, a mob of men shot and killed two black couples — Roger and Dorothy Malcom and George and Mae Murray Dorsey — at the Moore's Ford Bridge on the border of Walton and Oconee counties. Despite numerous witnesses, national outcry, outrage by then-President Harry Truman and an FBI probe, no one has been prosecuted for the crime.
It wasn’t what Dixon read that was most important. It was what he didn’t read — a similar proclimation from the Walton County Board of Commissioners — that was.
However, that all changed Thursday.
“The lynching of Roger and Dorothy Malcom and George and Mae Murray Dorsey must never be forgotten,” said a letter from Walton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Kevin Little to Rick Rusk, secretary of the Moore’s Ford Memorial Committee. “The individuals who are responsible for these crimes should be held accountable for their actions. The Walton County Board of Commissioners encourages anyone who may have information that could bring resolution to these murders to come forward. The Dorsey and Malcom families are entitled to justice.”
While no one has come forward to face prosecution in the cowardly crime, the elected leaders of this county have shown they no longer will sit by silently as repeated calls for justice go unanswered.
It is important for these killers to know that they are not being supported by their government.
It was a great day when Walton’s elected leaders stood up and acknowledge the tragic events of July 1946.
It will help lift the veil of silence that continues to reign over the county.
Marchers remember King, 1946 lynching
By Stephen Milligan
The Walton Tribune
Published April 8, 2009
WALTON COUNTY -— As people across the country remembered the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., nearly a hundred people descended on Walton County to remember his legacy with a march to the Moore’s Ford Bridge.
Led by state Rep. Tyrone Brooks, president of the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials, people filled the pews at First African Baptist Church to hear speakers remember both King and the events at Moore’s Ford, where two black couples — Roger and Malcom and George and Mae Murray Dorsey — were killed by a mob of white men.
“Your being here makes a difference,” said Bobby Howard, a local activist from Social Circle who continues to push to find leads in the never-solved lynching. “I tell you, Walton County needs it. We are fighting against the hate and racism that caused this. We are continuing the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”
King, who was assassinated by James Earl Ray on April 4, 1968, had expressed interest in visiting Moore’s Ford after his trip to Memphis for the sanitation workers’ strike but never left the city due to the assassin’s bullet. For the people gathered to remember the civil rights leader, the annual march to the bridge serves as a fulfillment of that mission to draw attention to the 1946 tragedy.
“We must seek justice,” said the Rev. Nathan Durham, pastor of the New Beginnings Church in Monroe. “We are thankful for the words and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. There is a part for each of us to do in seeking justice. All we need is to have a little faith.”
Brooks, who leads the annual march on the bridge as well as helps organize the annual re-enactment of the lynching in July, said the event was an important part of searching for justice.
“The voices of Roger and Dorothy and Mae Murray and George are calling for us to continue seeking justice,” Brooks said. “God wanted us here in Walton County for a reason. We cannot leave here until justice has been served to the Malcoms and the Dorseys, their descendants, this community and this nation.”
After leaving the church, the activists drove to the Moore’s Ford historic marker and then began the two-mile march to the bridge on the Walton-Oconee county border.
There, the crowd sang spirituals and listened to various speakers celebrate the life of King and reiterate the need for justice in the unsolved lynching.
“This was a horrific and dehumanizing event we can never forget,” said Ed Dubose, president of the Georgia NAACP.
Michael Thurmond, state labor commissioner, also spoke at the event.
“We are going to fight for justice to be done,” Thurmond said.
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