Historical Marker Commemorating Mary Turner Unveiled in Atlanta

A historical marker honoring Mary Turner, a Black woman lynched by a white mob in 1918, has been installed at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. The Georgia Historical Society marker, which had been vandalized multiple times, now serves as a focal point in a new exhibit that includes testimonies from Turner's descendants spanning six generations. This exhibit opens on Monday and aims to confront the historical violence faced by African Americans, particularly in the context of lynching.

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Mary Turner was eight months pregnant when she was killed by a mob in Valdosta, Georgia, after demanding justice for her husband, Hayes Turner, who had been lynched the day before, along with at least ten other Black individuals. Georgia recorded approximately 550 lynchings between 1880 and 1930, making it one of the states most affected by these acts of racial terror. The lynchings prompted a national outcry, leading to the introduction of the first anti-lynching legislation in 1918, although it faced significant opposition and was ultimately filibustered by Southern senators. Lynching would not be designated a federal hate crime until 2022.

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The marker, which bears bullet holes and damage from an off-road vehicle, reads: “Mary Turner, eight months pregnant, was burned, mutilated, and shot to death by a mob after publicly denouncing her husband’s lynching the previous day.” The exhibit features projections of the marker's text alongside recorded testimonies from Turner's descendants, emphasizing the ongoing impact of her story.

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Katrina Thomas, Mary Turner's great-granddaughter, expressed her gratitude for the marker's vandalism, stating, “Millions of people are going to learn her story. That her voice is continuing years and years after, it shows history does not disappear. It lives and continues to grow.” Randy McClain, the Turners' great-grandnephew, echoed this sentiment, noting the connection between the injustices of the past and the vandalism of the marker. He remarked, “Here it feels like a very safe space. She's now finally at rest, and her story can be told.”

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Despite the positive reception of the exhibit, the history it represents remains contentious. Some individuals in rural southern Georgia have attempted to downplay or erase the events surrounding the lynchings. The exhibit's existence highlights the ongoing struggle to confront and acknowledge this painful chapter in American history.

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The exhibit at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights is expected to draw significant attention, fostering discussions about racial violence and historical memory. As visitors engage with the stories of Mary Turner and her family, the hope is that this will contribute to a broader understanding of America's legacy of racial terror and the importance of remembrance.

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• “I'm glad the memorial was shot up. Millions of people are going to learn her story. That her voice is continuing years and years after, it shows history does not disappear. It lives and continues to grow.” — Katrina Thomas, Great-Granddaughter of Mary Turner

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• “The same injustice that took her life was the same injustice that kept vandalizing it, year after year.” — Randy McClain, Great-Grandnephew of Mary Turner

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