Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Politics/National
NationalNewsRace

Mississippi Man Facing Jail Time After Burning Cross Outside Black Family Homes to ‘Threaten, Frighten and Intimidate’ Them

Posted byBy Tanasia Kenney | Published on: CommentsComments (0)

A Mississippi man could be headed to jail after he admitted to performing a cross burning outside the homes of African-American families in an effort to frighten and intimidate them.

Graham Williamson pleaded guilty to federal hate crime charges Wednesday after admitting to one count of interference with housing rights, as well as one count of conspiring to use fire to commit a federal felony, the Department of Justice announced. 

Suspect Graham Williamson said he was aware that cross burnings have historically been used to threaten, frighten and intimidate African-Americans. Facebook photo

Authorities said Williamson, 38, admitted to carrying out a racially motivated cross burning in a mostly-Black residential area in Seminary, Mississippi, on Oct. 24, 2017, and was aided by a co-conspirator, Louis Bernard Revette. The suspect said he constructed the cross using materials from in and around Revette’s home, then set it ablaze near the homes of African-Americans in the area, including the home of a juvenile victim.

Williamson further admitted to committing the racist practice in order to “threaten, frighten and intimidate” local residents, and said he was well aware that ” burning crosses have historically been used to threaten, frighten, and intimidate African-Americans.” The racist practice has largely been associated with white supremacist groups like the Ku Klux Klan.

Williamson now faces a 30-year prison sentence and $500,000 fine for his crimes.

“The defendant used a violent symbol of racial intimidation to threaten these victims and inspire fear, while they resided in the security of their own homes,” Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division said in a statement. “The Department of Justice does not tolerate these hateful and historically egregious acts, and will continue to vigorously prosecute criminals who violate the civil rights of peaceful community members.”

Michelle A. Sutphin,  FBI Jackson Division Special Agent in Charge, added: “Crimes motivated by hate are intended to intimidate their victims and spread fear in the community, undermining societal. The FBI will continue its aggressive investigations of acts like these in pursuit of justice for the victims and the integrity of civil rights for all.”

Williamson’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Nov. 5.

Still independent.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top