ABSTRACT
ON JUNE 7, 1998, James Byrd, Jr., a Black man, was hitchhiking home following a relative’s bridal shower when a truck pulled up. However, instead of receiving a lift home, Byrd was kidnapped, taken to a wooded area, beaten to unconsciousness, chained to the back of the truck, and then dragged for several miles. His head and right arm were torn from his body during the dragging and were later found in a ditch along the road. His assailants were three White men with links to racist groups (Hohler, 1998). It is believed that the genesis for this gruesome murder was racial hatred.
