Toni Morrison obituary

Toni Morrison was sometimes criticized for not writing about white people (she denied this), and she made no apologies for writing for “black people.” She wrote the stories that she wanted to read, because no one else was writing them.

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Hundreds Dedicate Lynching Marker to Anthony Crawford in Abbeville, South Carolina

A century ago, a white mob beat, stabbed, shot, and hung Mr. Crawford, a 56-year-old black farmer, in the Abbeville town square, after he dared to argue with a white merchant over the price of cottonseed. The patriarch of a large, multi-generational family, and the owner of 427 acres of land, Mr. Crawford was a successful farmer and leader whose murder had long-reaching effects. In October 2016, hundreds gathered in Abbeville for a Freedom School, during which college students, activists, and leaders led discussions about our country’s history of racial injustice and its contemporary legacies. Those present included more than 100 of Anthony Crawford’s descendants, who wore black armbands and buttons in his memory, as well as members of the families of Emmett Till, Ida B. Wells, and Malcolm X, who came to lend support and words of encouragement.

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Anthony Crawford – Father, Husband, Landowner, Farmer

Doria Johnson, great-great granddaughter of Anthony Crawford, recounts his lynching and the effect it had on the lives of his descendants. Updates to this posting include articles about a commemorative ceremony in 2005 and the dedication of a plaque at the hallowed ground in 2016. Video, photos and text.

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