Lynching in Manatee and Sarasota Counties

Marker Text: Between 1903 and 1934, white mobs terrorized and lynched at least six Black people in Manatee and Sarasota counties. On March 8, 1903, a white mob hanged Henry Thomas near Parriah, leaving his body suspended overnight to instill fear in the entire Black community. White residents took the mere allegation of assault as permission to kill Mr. Thomas. On March 6, 1910, a Black man referred to as Ruddy was lynched following a dispute with his white employer over wages. In this era, Black workers who sought fair treatment and the enforcement of the contractual obligations of their white employers regularly faced the threat of violent retaliation. The next morning, March 7, a white mob lynched two brothers, Sam and Wade Ellis, after accusing them of “interfering” with Mr. Ruddy’s lynching. On July 2, 1912, a white mob abducted Willie English from the Manatee County Jail and lynched him. Mr. English had been arrested solely because a white woman alleged he had spoken to her in a way she found insulting. On April 4, 1934, a white man shot and killed James Franklin, reportedly with the assistance of two law enforcement offices who were supposed to be escorting Mr. Franklin to a physician for a physical and mental wellness exam. Despite many eyewitnesses and even photographic evidence, no members of any of these mobs were held accountable for lynching these Black men.