Vigil Friday for 92 lynching victims in Tyler & Smith County

TYLER — The Tyler Downtown Square will host a vigil on Friday night from 7 to 8 p.m. On Friday, D.G. Montalvo told KTBB, “This is the first remembrance that will take place in Tyler as far as we can tell, dating back well over 50 years. We hope the spirit of the event is a somber one and really takes into account, the Black lives that were lost to violence through out Tyler’s history.” The gathering will seek to honor the victims of the 92 known racial terror lynching in the Tyler and Smith County area.

Montalvo continued, “We’re hoping that by remembering our Black history and telling it, that it will inspire people to empathize with the community more; but also maybe change our hearts so that we can begin to unify. It would be wonderful if there was one Tyler, instead of multiple Tyler’s that are know to be segregated by race.” There will also be a prayer of confession for all attending. Tea lights will be distributed to everyone. Chairs are optional and attendees are encouraged to wear masks. Between 1857 and 1950 over 4,500 African Americans were documented victims of racial terror lynching in the United States. These public spectacles often involved torture, mutilation, and burning. They were intended to intimidate black communities and enforce a supposed racial hierarchy and segregation.