Apology request for 1931 Matthew Williams Lynching in Salisbury

DOWNTOWN SALISBURY, Md. – Activists say racism has a deep history in the United States, and in Delmarva, it’s no different.

In the city of Salisbury Alone, between the years of 1898 and 1931, three black men were lynched by a white mob.

The men all were killed over accusations that were never proven or tried in a court of law.

Matthew Williams was one who was lynched on the accusation of murder without any investigation or due process on December 4th, 1931.

 It was recently discovered that city officials even participated in the hanging, and now, local groups are asking for an apology from the city of Salisbury. Currently President of the Salisbury City Council April Jackson has commented on the Fire Chief Frederick Grier Jr. who participated in the lynching.

“When a city employee gives a tool to hang someone you kind of think less of your city government.”

Three people have been lynched in Salisbury’s history. Matthew Williams who was taken from the hospital that is now TidalHealth, beaten brutally and hanged to death. James Yamakawa with the Wicomico Truth and Reconciliation Initiative says in many cases, an investigation would never come or the offender would be deemed by law enforcement as “persons unknown.”

“If upwards to a thousand people were a part of that mob that equals about 10 percent of the population at the time,” Yamakawa said. “So, if one out of ten people is apart of the lynch mob, you either know someone who was in it or you were in it.”

That’s why activists are now asking for a formal apology from the city of Salisbury.

“This is clearly a systematic effort to disenfranchise and to discriminate.”

Salisbury City Council President April Jackson is sad to admit that she still sees ongoing institutional racism and discrimination on Delmarva.

“I see a lot of racist, I see a lot of dis-inclusion,” Jackson said. “Some things, I don’t even feel included in when it comes to the city of Salisbury.”

“These are things we don’t want to see happen,” Jackson said. “I am sorry that it happened then, speaking from my viewpoint, and I pray that it never happens again.”

Jackson says it’s time to have an honest reckoning with this history and rebuild the trust that has been repeatedly broken to allow a true chance for healing.

“What hands are we in? Are we now in those same type of hands today?”

“Not I, in any way and I can only speak for myself and I can speak for my council,” Jackson said. “I think my council is totally against what has happened and they do not want to see it happen again.”