12/20/2024

Three Black Men Were Lynched in 1918

A rural Virginia county has cleared their names

Culpepper, Virginia – There is no way to atone for what happened to Charles Allie Thompson, William Thompson and William Grayson, Black men lynched in this rural county more than a century ago and then mostly erased from history. But this week brought a measure of justice.

In a Reconstruction-era courtroom, Circuit Judge Dale B. Durrer granted a request from prosecutor Russell Rabb, III to find that all three men “were and remain to this day innocent of their charges” because they were denied due process. The ruling mandates that documents about their horrific treatment at the hands of vigilante mobs remain unsealed in the Circuit Court's records for future generations to see.

"The best history helps us recognize the mistakes that we've made and the evil corners in which humanity can dwell," Durrer said in issuing his ruling. "This discomfort causes us to learn and grow and harness the great collective power we have as a community."

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.