Benjamin Brown (activist) explained

Benjamin Brown
Birth Date:12 May 1945
Death Place:Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi
Resting Place:Sweet Rest Cemetery, Pearl, Rankin County, Mississippi, US
Occupation:Student

Benjamin Brown (May 12, 1945 – May 12, 1967) was an African-American student at Jackson State University active in the civil rights movement, killed on campus during a standoff between law enforcement and students.[1] [2] Upon encountering the standoff (at the sidelines) after picking up a sandwich from a cafe to bring back to his wife, he was shot by two stray shotgun blasts from law enforcement firing into the crowd.[3] No arrests were ever made.

In 2001, a Hinds County grand jury reviewed the case and blamed two deceased officers: Jackson police officer Buddy Kane and Mississippi Highway Patrolman Lloyd Jones. The Brown family filed a lawsuit and settled for $50,000 from the city of Jackson. There has been no marker on the JSU campus recognizing the events that took place.

The Southern Poverty Law Center memorialized Benjamin Brown as a civil rights martyr on a memorial designed by Maya Lin.

References

  1. Web site: No marker recognizes Ben Brown's killing on JSU campus. The Clarion Ledger. en. 2019-10-26.
  2. Web site: Benjamin Brown. Find A Grave. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20191028074904/https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27156699/benjamin-brown . 2019-10-28 .
  3. Web site: Civil Rights Martyrs. Southern Poverty Law Center. en. 2019-10-26.

External links