Nevada Taylor was attacked on Jan. 23, 1906, as she walked home from a street car stop in St. Elmo. The attack triggered a set of events that led to the lynching of the man accused and then hurriedly found guilty. It ended with the U. S. Supreme Court intervening to find the Hamilton County Sheriff and his accomplices guilty of obstruction of justice.
Review for Series on Ed Johnson Story:
This is the story of Ed Johnson. As the 115th anniversary of his lynching approaches, the Ed Johnson Project joins WUTC’s Scenic Roots, Ray Bassett, in telling this dramatic story. Besides being one of the thousands of horrific incidents of racial terror that occurred in this country, Ed Johnson’s story is a story of historic firsts. Noah Parden, a local attorney, was one of the first African American attorneys to argue before the Supreme Court. Justice John M. Harlan issued the stay of execution for Ed Johnson. Following the lynching, the Supreme Court conducted a criminal trial for the first and only time in its history. The landmark Supreme Court case set a precedent for federal oversight of local civil rights that was used throughout the Civil Rights era and still today.
Tune in to WUTC 88.1 FM on Thursday, Feb. 4, at 3 p.m. to hear the first episode of this six-part series. Mr. Bassett is joined by Mariann Martin, an EJP committee member; and Judge Neil Thomas, retired Chattanooga trial judge and great-nephew of W.G.M. Thomas, an attorney for Mr. Johnson in his state trial. The three discuss the initial crime, the arrest of Mr. Johnson, and his trial in Hamilton County. The remaining episodes are scheduled to air Thursdays at 3 p.m. for the next five weeks.
About the Ed Johnson Project:
The Ed Johnson Project’s mission is to promote reconciliation and healing by engaging local communities in remembering the Ed Johnson story and reflecting on its implications for us today. It fosters and promotes a deeper understanding and awareness of the lynching of Ed Johnson; honors the courageous pursuit of justice which was undertaken by his attorneys Noah W. Pardon and Styles L Hutchins in appealing the case directly to the U. S. Supreme Court; and measures the endearing legal, historical and social significance this case duly has in the establishment of justice and advancement of our society.
For more information on the project visit: www.facebook.com/EdJohnsonProject or www.edjohnsonproject.com.