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Mississippi to commemorate life of slain civil rights veteran

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Mississippi to commemorate life of slain civil rights veteran

World War I veteran Lamar Smith knew the risk of registering Black residents to vote and encouraging them to exercise that right. His civil rights work led to his fatal shooting in 1955 on the lawn of the Brookhaven courthouse by three men who were never prosecuted for the crime. 

Nearly 70 years after his 1955 slaying, a historical marker will commemorate the Black farmer’s civil rights work and life at the site of his death. The Board of Trustees for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History approved the marker at its Friday meeting. 

“The board approved a group of markers, including one for Mr. Lamar Smith recounting his story,” said Katie Blount, director of MDAH. 

She said the historical marker program is one of the department’s most popular and a way for people to get involved with history in a grassroots way. 

Family members of Smith have supported the placement of a historical marker at the courthouse in his honor. 

Some have wanted officials to go further. Several family members have gone before the Lincoln County Board of Supervisors multiple times to ask for the courthouse to be renamed in Smith’s honor, but the board has not done that, the Daily Leader reported.

“Any time we talk about [this], the pain comes up like it was yesterday,” said Alma Pittman, Smith’s step-granddaughter, at an April board meeting. “I saw my grandmother suffer. She never got over it. It would be nice to have recognition of my grandfather’s [sacrifice] by the state my grandfather was murdered in.”

Lamar Smith is among the people whose stories are featured at the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Civil Rights Memorial Center in Montgomery, Alabama.

On Aug. 13, 1955, 63-year-old Smith went to the Brookhaven courthouse to drop off absentee ballots for a county supervisor runoff election between an incumbent and a challenger he worked for. Three white men approached him outside and shot him in front of at least 50 people, according to FBI documents. 

Noah Smith, Mack Smith and Charles Falvey were arrested for Smith’s death, but they were never tried. Two grand juries were convened and did not take action because witnesses refused to testify, according to FBI documents. 

The FBI reopened Smith’s case in 2008 as part of an initiative for unresolved civil rights era murders. It closed his case in April 2010, saying the three men were dead and unable to be prosecuted.

In its decision to close Smith’s case, the FBI said it did not find a prosecutable violation of federal civil rights statutes and noted there was a five-year statute of limitation on non-capital civil rights violations before 1994. 

The FBI also noted the local coroner’s jury ruled that “probably other parties unknown” were involved with Smith’s death but were never identified. 

Of the 161 civil rights cases the FBI reopened, 53 of them were killings that happened in Mississippi between the 1930s and 1970s. To date, a majority of the cases have been closed. 

One of those cases was that of the Rev. George Lee who was killed in Belzoni months before Smith for registering Black people to vote. Like Smith’s case, the FBI closed Lee’s case because the man accused of shooting him was already dead. 

In interviews for an episode of the 2008 television series “Murder in Black & White,” family members of Smith remembered him as a good man who wanted to help others vote, even when he was told not to. 

“He said he would die for the sake of others,” said Smith’s niece, Jinnie Lee Wallace.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Mississippi News

Can you remain anonymous in Mississippi if you win the $1.8B Powerball jackpot?

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www.wjtv.com – Addy Bink – 2025-09-05 11:22:00

SUMMARY: The Powerball jackpot has reached an estimated $1.8 billion, the second-largest in U.S. history. Winners must decide between a lump sum or annuity payout and should keep their ticket safe, sign it, and assemble a team of financial, tax, and legal advisors. Experts recommend maintaining privacy, though disclosure laws vary by state. Some states require public release of winners’ names and locations, while others allow anonymity or temporary confidentiality based on prize amounts. Many winners use trusts for privacy. Powerball is played in 45 states plus D.C., Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands, with odds of 1 in 292.2 million.

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Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: September 5-7

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2025-09-05 07:10:00

SUMMARY: This weekend (September 5-7) in Mississippi offers diverse events across the state. In Central Mississippi, highlights include the “Wild Robot” screening in Jackson, the Roosevelt State Park reopening in Morton, the Hurricane Katrina photo exhibit, and art shows at the Mississippi Children’s Museum and Mississippi Museum of Art. Activities also include roller derby, farmers markets, painting classes, and a Woodstock-themed festival. In the Pine Belt region, Hattiesburg hosts charity events, art classes, live music concerts, a food truck festival, and Southern Miss football games, alongside karaoke nights and museum exhibits. These events suit all ages and interests, ideal for relaxation and exploration.

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Mississippi universities halt funding for student groups, citing DEI law

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www.wjtv.com – Devna Bose – 2025-09-04 12:30:00

SUMMARY: Some Mississippi universities have halted funding for student organizations due to a state law (House Bill 1193) banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, currently blocked by a federal judge for potentially violating First Amendment rights. The law exempts registered organizations but prohibits using student activity fees—considered state funds—for DEI-related programming. Consequently, universities like the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State redirected these fees to campus departments for organizing activities, suspending the student-driven funding process. Students and leaders express concern, fearing loss of support for events and club activities, with efforts underway to find alternative funding amid growing legal uncertainty.

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