Murder of Wharlest Jackson

Wharlest Jackson (December 7, 1929 – February 27, 1967) was an American civil rights activist who was murdered by a car bomb, with evidence of involvement by a white supremacy organization; it has been an unsolved murder since the 1960s. Jackson served as treasurer of the Natchez, Mississippi branch of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) until his assassination by a car bomb, which was placed on the frame of his truck under the driver-side seat.[1] The bomb exploded at approximate 8 p.m. on February 27, 1967. The explosion occurred when he switched on his turn signal on his way home.[2] The explosion caused serious damage to Wharlest's lower torso and he died at the scene. The scene of his death was six blocks away from the site where he was employed,[1] at Armstrong Rubber and Tire Company.

The culprit was never found, and while the FBI suspected the involvement of the Silver Dollar Group, an offshoot of the Ku Klux Klan, there was no investigation that came up with a conclusion or a culprit, despite the ten thousand pages of FBI documentation and evidence.[3][4]

  1. ^ a b "Wharlest Jackson". www.justice.gov. 2017-08-02. Retrieved 2019-05-27.
  2. ^ Peyronnin, Joe (2011-02-18). "Cold Case: Wharlest Jackson". HuffPost. Retrieved 2019-05-27.
  3. ^ Newton, M. (2010). The Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi: A History. McFarland, Incorporated Publishers. p. 173. ISBN 9780786457045. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  4. ^ Bullard, S.; Bond, J. (1994). Free At Last: A History of the Civil Rights Movement and Those Who Died in the Struggle. Oxford University Press. p. 94. ISBN 9780199762279. Retrieved 2016-01-06.