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Today in History: White supremacists drag James Byrd Jr. in Texas

6/7/2026

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Summary

Story summary

On June 7 1998, white supremacists Shawn Berry, Lawrence Brewer and John King chained James Byrd Jr., an African-American man, to a Ford pickup and dragged him three miles along a dirt road near Jasper, Texas, killing him when his body struck a culvert. The brutal hate crime sparked nationwide outrage and federal hate-crime legislation.

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Story summary

On June 7 1998, white supremacists Shawn Berry, Lawrence Brewer and John King chained James Byrd Jr., an African-American man, to a Ford pickup and dragged him three miles along a dirt road near Jasper, Texas, killing him when his body struck a culvert. The brutal hate crime sparked nationwide outrage and federal hate-crime legislation.