Memorial Marker for Washington County Lynching Victims to be Unveiled

A dedication ceremony is scheduled for Saturday at the Fayetteville Public Library.

WCCRP Memorial

Aaron, Anthony and Randall were the victims of racial terror lynching in 1856 in Washington County. A marker venerating the lives of these three victims is being installed by the Washington County Community Remembrance Project. 

Established in 2018, the Washington County Community Remembrance Project is a multiracial group of Washington County community citizens who work in partnership with the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Ala., to remember and memorialize victims of racial terror lynching, according to a press release. 

The memorial marker will be unveiled at 10 a.m. Saturday at the historic Oaks Cemetery, located south of the National Cemetery in Fayetteville. The unveiling will be followed by a dedication and awards ceremony from 12:30 to 4 p.m. at the Fayetteville Public Library. All members of the community are welcome to attend and can RSVP here.  

The dedication and awards ceremony will feature food from Secondhand Smoke, local art, music from the St. James Baptist church youth choir and the announcement of the winners of EJI’s Racial Justice Essay Contest

Guest speakers include Tom Lackey, a long-time resident of the  Fayetteville community, and Patricia Morency, a mental health clinician in Counseling And Psychological Services (CAPS) at the University of Arkansas. COVID-19 precautions will be in place throughout the ceremonies. 

For more information, email wccrproject@gmail.com.