Modern Lynching - The Legacy of James Byrd, Jr.

The savage murder of James Byrd, Jr. ten years ago tore at America's conscience.

James Byrd Jr., an African American man, was dragged to death after being beaten, spray painted and chained by the ankles to the back of a pick up truck. In 75 places, Byrd's remains soaked the isolated road in Jasper, Texas where his life was ripped away. Two of his murderers sit on death row and the third is serving a life sentence.

In this modern lynching, Civil rights activists found another reason to fight for justice. White supremacists found an excuse to protest. The media found a headline story. But the community of Jasper lost a neighbor. And a family lost a brother and son. That is what the family of James Byrd Jr. wants you to remember.

Remembering James Byrd

Betty Byrd Boatner pauses at the gravesite of her brother Thursday, June 5, 2008 in Jasper, Texas. James Byrd Jr. was chained to the back of a pickup truck and dragged to death down a country road 10 years ago in the early morning hours of June 7, 1998.

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Byrd's remains were found scattered in 75 places along the twisting path that cuts through a pine forest. His head and right arm were discovered about a mile from his mangled torso.

(AP Photo)

Byrd's murderers were quickly arrested and convicted, offering some comfort that justice was served. John William King and Lawrence Russell Brewer are now on death row. Shawn Allen Berry is serving a life sentence.

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Holly Blake, 2, plays in the James Byrd Jr. Memorial Park Thursday, June 5, 2008 in Jasper, Texas.

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Walter Diggles, executive director of the Deep East Texas Council of Governments, is shown in his office Thursday, June 5, 2008 in Jasper, Texas. Diggles will speak during a tribute to James Byrd Jr. Saturday.

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

For the past 10 years the Byrd family has made it their mission to confront the problem of racial hatred. They were inspired to create the Byrd Foundation for Racial Healing and were a force behind the passage of the James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Act in Texas.

Says Byrd's sister, Louvan Byrd Harris:

"We must take something that's such a tragic happening and hopefully help someone else so no one will have to deal with the horror that we have to go through everyday."

And it seems progress is being made:

For all the turmoil, Jasper has made strides to heal its image. An alliance of black and white ministers was formed and is active in town. Billy Rowles, who was the town's sheriff at the time, realized he didn't have a diverse police force. So he hired six black deputies and dispatchers.

"They portrayed me as a snuff dippin', beer drinkin', redneck East Texas sheriff, and they had it all right - but I wasn't a bigot," said Rowles, 62, who retired four years ago.

The local Wal-Mart, known as the town's mall, reflects the demography of Jasper's working-class residents, almost equally split between black and white, with a growing Latino population. Recently, a white man shopped for groceries with a black woman, their interracial child sitting on the shopping cart.

In James Byrd, Jr.'s death, Jasper finds a way to move from hate.