A Tennessee attorney is trying to elevate the little-known story of Elbert Williams, who was found murdered in 1940. The 75-year-old mystery may represent the earliest NAACP member killed for the cause of Civil Rights.
Williams was a charter member of the chapter in West Tennessee’s Haywood County—which was and still is majority African American. He was part of the push to open voting rights. After a visit from police, he disappeared. Three days later, Williams was found in the Hatchie River.
Retired attorney Jim Emison, who has spent two years researching for a book about Williams, says all signs point to a murder at the hands of local law enforcement. He was buried the same day with hardly any investigation.
“He’s a hero. He’s a martyr,” Emison says. “I want to put that on a tombstone or a marker. I don’t want that man to lie out there in a cemetery with an unmarked grave any longer. He never even had a memorial service.”
A historical marker has already been approved by the state, though Emison still needs the University of Tennessee to confirm the body is Williams. A memorial service has been planned for the anniversary of his death, June 20th.
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