United Klans of America: Difference between revisions

Line 39:

The acquittal of a black man accused of shooting a white police officer in Alabama in 1981 was the erstwhile "reason" given by murderers for the lynching of Michael Donald, a 19-year-old black man, on March 21, after Josephus Andersonan, a black man in Mobile, Alabama, was charged with the murder of a white police officer but acquitted at trial.

UKA member Bennie ~~Hays~~ blamed the jury, claiming the acquittal was due to the presence of African-American members. ~~Hays~~ said he would kill a black man in retaliation. On March 21, his son Henry ~~Hays~~, and another younger member of the UKA, James Knowles, decided to take action and drove around to find a victim. They found Michael Donald walking along the street and made him get into their car. After kidnapping him, they drove out to a bordering county, where ~~Hays~~ and Knowles hanged him from a tree.

UKA member [[Bennie Hayes]] blamed the jury, claiming the acquittal was due to the presence of African-American members. Hayes said he would kill a black man in retaliation. On March 21, his son [[Henry Francis Hayes]], and another younger member of the UKA, [[James Knowles]], decided to take action and drove around to find a victim. They found Michael Donald walking along the street and made him get into their car. After kidnapping him, they drove out to a bordering county, where Hayes and Knowles hanged him from a tree.

During the investigation, the police concluded that the murder had to do with drugs, but Donald's mother, Beulah Mae Donald, knew her son was not involved with drugs, and decided to take action. She eventually talked to national activist Jesse Jackson of Chicago. Thomas Figures, Mobile's U.S. Attorney, contacted the FBI to take on the case under federal civil rights law. Knowles quickly confessed to the lynching. In 1983, James Knowles of the UKA's Klavern 900 in Mobile, was convicted for the 1981 murder of Michael Donald. His conviction resulted in a sentence of life in prison; he was given mercy as he was 17 at the time of the killing. At trial Knowles said that he and Henry Hays killed Donald "in order to show Klan strength in Alabama".

Line 45:

In 1987, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) brought a civil case on behalf Donald's family against the United Klans of America for being responsible in the lynching of Donald. Unable to come up with the $7 million in damages awarded by the jury, the UKA was forced to turn over its national headquarters to Donald's mother, who sold the property. This lawsuit resulted in the bankruptcy of the UKA. The organization split up in 1987.

During the civil trial, Knowles said that he was "carrying out the orders" of Bennie Jack ~~Hays~~, Henry ~~Hays~~'s father, and a long time Shelton lieutenant. The trial ended with a guilty verdict, and Knowles, charged with "…violating Donald's civil rights…", received a sentence of life in prison. ~~Hays~~ was charged a few months later with the murder of Donald, he was found guilty, and sentenced to death. ~~Hays~~ was executed on 6 June 1997.

During the civil trial, Knowles said that he was "carrying out the orders" of Bennie Jack Hayes, Henry Hayes's father, and a long time Shelton lieutenant. The trial ended with a guilty verdict, and Knowles, charged with "…violating Donald's civil rights…", received a sentence of life in prison. Henry Hayes was charged a few months later with the murder of Donald, he was found guilty, and sentenced to death. Hayes was executed on 6 June 1997.

[[Category:Organizations]]

[[Category:KKK Members]]

@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 The acquittal of a black man accused of shooting a white police officer in Alabama in 1981 was the erstwhile "reason" given by murderers for the lynching of Michael Donald, a 19-year-old black man, on March 21, after Josephus Andersonan, a black man in Mobile, Alabama, was charged with the murder of a white police officer but acquitted at trial.
-UKA member Bennie Hays blamed the jury, claiming the acquittal was due to the presence of African-American members. Hays said he would kill a black man in retaliation. On March 21, his son Henry Hays, and another younger member of the UKA, James Knowles, decided to take action and drove around to find a victim. They found Michael Donald walking along the street and made him get into their car. After kidnapping him, they drove out to a bordering county, where Hays and Knowles hanged him from a tree.
+UKA member [[Bennie Hayes]] blamed the jury, claiming the acquittal was due to the presence of African-American members. Hayes said he would kill a black man in retaliation. On March 21, his son [[Henry Francis Hayes]], and another younger member of the UKA, [[James Knowles]], decided to take action and drove around to find a victim. They found Michael Donald walking along the street and made him get into their car. After kidnapping him, they drove out to a bordering county, where Hayes and Knowles hanged him from a tree.
 During the investigation, the police concluded that the murder had to do with drugs, but Donald's mother, Beulah Mae Donald, knew her son was not involved with drugs, and decided to take action. She eventually talked to national activist Jesse Jackson of Chicago. Thomas Figures, Mobile's U.S. Attorney, contacted the FBI to take on the case under federal civil rights law. Knowles quickly confessed to the lynching. In 1983, James Knowles of the UKA's Klavern 900 in Mobile, was convicted for the 1981 murder of Michael Donald. His conviction resulted in a sentence of life in prison; he was given mercy as he was 17 at the time of the killing. At trial Knowles said that he and Henry Hays killed Donald "in order to show Klan strength in Alabama".
@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 In 1987, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) brought a civil case on behalf Donald's family against the United Klans of America for being responsible in the lynching of Donald. Unable to come up with the $7 million in damages awarded by the jury, the UKA was forced to turn over its national headquarters to Donald's mother, who sold the property. This lawsuit resulted in the bankruptcy of the UKA. The organization split up in 1987.
-During the civil trial, Knowles said that he was "carrying out the orders" of Bennie Jack Hays, Henry Hays's father, and a long time Shelton lieutenant. The trial ended with a guilty verdict, and Knowles, charged with "…violating Donald's civil rights…", received a sentence of life in prison. Hays was charged a few months later with the murder of Donald, he was found guilty, and sentenced to death. Hays was executed on 6 June 1997.
+During the civil trial, Knowles said that he was "carrying out the orders" of Bennie Jack Hayes, Henry Hayes's father, and a long time Shelton lieutenant. The trial ended with a guilty verdict, and Knowles, charged with "…violating Donald's civil rights…", received a sentence of life in prison. Henry Hayes was charged a few months later with the murder of Donald, he was found guilty, and sentenced to death. Hayes was executed on 6 June 1997.
 [[Category:Organizations]]
 [[Category:KKK Members]]