Site of Ellisville lynching to get historical marker | Free News

JC to host viewing of documentary

Laurel and Jones County Black History Museum and Arts will host its second Juneteenth Festival from June 17-19, featuring a special installation of a memo- rial marker of John Hartfield, who was lynched in Ellisville on June 26, 1919, along with a screening of the award-winning film “100 Years From Mississippi.”

The unveiling of the  marker on Highway 11 will take place with a memorial ceremony on June 17 alongside the Mississippi Historical Society. The marker represents the first public acknowledgment of Hartfield’s murder, said Marian Allen, museum director.

“We hope that this acknowledgment will be the first of many steps toward reconciliation and community building,” Allen said. “In the same way the historical legacy of Juneteenth shows the value of never giving up hope in uncertain times, our hope is this memorial will serve as a community space where we remember those times that our community must never revisit.”

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The film, “100 Years From Mississippi,” by director Tarabu Betserai Kirkland, outlines the lynching of Hartfield, and will be screened at Jones College. A question-and-answer forum will take place after the screening. In addition to the historical marker unveiling and film showing, the Juneteenth celebration will also feature a Family Fun Day Parade and a Juneteenth Memorial Service at the Greater Historic Bethel AME Church.

The Juneteenth Celebration committee is currently collecting donations for the cost of the festival. Donations can be sent to 492 Currie Road, Ellisville, or by contacting Allen at 601-323- 9418.

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