Summary
A historical marker honoring Mary Turner, a Black woman lynched in 1918, is now part of an exhibit at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. The marker, previously vandalized, tells the story of Mary Turner and reflects America's ongoing struggle with its history of racial violence. The exhibit includes testimonials from Turner's descendants and highlights Georgia's history of lynchings.
Key Facts
- Mary Turner was lynched in 1918 by a mob in Georgia while she was eight months pregnant.
- The historical marker commemorating her has been moved to a museum in Atlanta due to repeated vandalism.
- The exhibit includes testimony from Mary Turner's descendants across six generations.
- Georgia was among the states with the highest number of recorded lynchings between 1880 and 1930.
- In 1918, anti-lynching legislation was first introduced, though it faced opposition and was not passed as law until 2022.
- The Equal Justice Initiative has documented over 4,400 racial terror lynchings and created memorials to the victims.
- The exhibit at the museum displays the bullet-riddled marker and includes recorded stories from the Turner's family members.
