Page 31 - 2-20-15 Friday's Edition

Death Of Civil Rights Activist Leads To
‘Bloody Sunday’
JIMMIE LEE JACKSON December 16, 1938- February 26, 1965
On February 18, 1965, a group of protesters in Selma, Alabama staged a non-violent march. The march was in protest of the arrest of James Orange, a Field Sec- retary for the Southern Chris- tian Leadership Conference.
On the night of the protest, the street lights were turned off. Hiding behind the cover of darkness, police and state troopers attacked the protesters.
Jimmie Lee Jackson
and other protesters ran into a nearby Mack’s Café.
Witnesses said that Jack- son was attempting to pro- tect his mother and 82-year-old grandfather from the brutality of the troopers. At some point, Alabama State Trooper James Bonard Fowler shot Jackson in the stomach.
Jackson was transported to a local hospital. While in the hospital, Al Lingo, Head of the Alabama State Troop- ers sent an warrant for Jack- son’s arrest. However, Jackson died on February 26, 1965, of an infection in the wound. His death prevented the enforcement of the war- rant.
Jackson, who was 26- years-old at the time of his death, was married, the father of a young daughter, and was one of the youngest Deacons at St. James Baptist Church.
He served a tour of duty in Viet Nam during the war. Jackson had made several attempts to register to vote. However, he was never able to pass the hurdles designed to keep African Americans from casting ballots.
Trooper Fowler
claimed self-defense and was allowed to return to duty, transferred to Birmingham, and promoted.
A year later, on May 8, 1966, Trooper Fowler shot and killed 34-year-old Nathan Johnson. Once again, he claimed self-defense and was not prosecuted.
On May 10, 2007, former Trooper Fowler was in- dicted on a first-degree mur- der charge for killing Jackson. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter on Novem- ber 15, 2010, and was sen- tenced to 6 months in prison. However, he was released a month early due to his age and health.
Black Facts
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2015 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 19-B