Special Film Screening: 100 Years From Mississippi Friday, April 25
By Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown
Third Baptist Family, it is with great reverence and reflection that I invite you to a special film screening of 100 Years From Mississippi at Third Baptist Church on Friday, April 25. This powerful documentary tells the story of Mamie Lang Kirkland, a woman who bore witness to the brutal realities of racial terror in America. At a time when many seek to forget or rewrite history, her story stands as a testimony to truth, resilience, and the ongoing need for justice.
We are honored to host the filmmakers in person for a post-screening Q&A, where we will engage in a meaningful dialogue about the film, its historical significance, and what it means for us today.
A Century of Lynchings: The History We Must Not Forget
Between 1877 and 1950, more than 4,400 documented lynchings of Black Americans occurred across the United States, according to the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI). These were not just murders; they were public spectacles—designed to instill fear, dehumanize, and strip dignity from the Black community. Families were forced to flee their homes under the constant threat of racial violence, and justice was rarely, if ever, served.
One of the most horrifying examples of this brutality took place in Ellisville, Mississippi, in 1919, with the lynching of John Hartfield. His murder was advertised in newspapers as an event—drawing a crowd of 10,000 spectators, as if it were a public festival. A newspaper headline chillingly read: “John Hartfield Will Be Lynched by Ellisville Mob at 5:00 This Afternoon.” This level of barbarism is a painful yet necessary reminder of the racial terror that shaped our nation.
The Power of Remembering: A Story of Survival
100 Years from Mississippi tells the deeply personal story of Mamie Lang Kirkland, who, as a child, fled Mississippi with her family after her father and his friend were targeted for lynching. Though her family escaped, she carried the memories and trauma of those days with her for a century. Through this film, her voice becomes a bridge between past and present, ensuring that these stories are never forgotten.
For many of us, this story is not just history—it is personal. My own brother, Clarence Warren Brown, experienced the very kind of racial violence that shaped Mamie Kirkland’s life. In the 1940s, while walking home from a friend’s house in Mississippi, Clarence was brutally beaten by two policemen. He was a teenager—simply trying to get an education. That night changed the course of his life. In fear for his safety, he fled Mississippi and relocated to Detroit, Michigan, never truly looking back except for our father’s funeral in 1964.
Clarence’s story, like Mamie Kirkland’s, is not an isolated one. It is part of the larger, painful history of racial violence that has displaced and scarred generations of Black Americans.
Moving Forward: A Call to Justice and Healing
While we cannot undo the past, we can ensure that we honor its lessons. This screening is more than just an opportunity to watch a film—it is a call to action. It is a moment for us to bear witness, to learn, to make amends, and to commit to justice in our own time.
I urge you to join us for this powerful event and to take part in the conversation that follows. The work of justice is not finished—it is up to us to carry it forward.
Please stay tuned for further details regarding the screening.