In the history of the American Civil Rights Movement, names like Emmett Till and Medgar Evers are etched into the national consciousness. Yet, just weeks before Till’s murder, a World War I veteran and farmer named Lamar "Ditney" Smith was gunned down in broad daylight for the "crime" of organizing the Black vote.
His story is a raw look at the cost of democracy and a legacy that helped ignite the modern struggle for equality.
Who Was Lamar "Ditney" Smith?
Lamar Smith (1892–1955) was a resident of Lincoln County, Mississippi. A successful farmer and a veteran, Smith refused to accept the secondary status imposed by Jim Crow laws. He became a prominent figure in the Regional Council of Negro Leadership (RCNL), an organization dedicated to civic engagement and voter registration.
On August 13, 1955, while helping Black voters fill out absentee ballots for a primary runoff election to ensure they wouldn't be intimidated at the polls, Smith was shot to death on the lawn of the Lincoln County Courthouse in Brookhaven. Despite dozens of witnesses and the local sheriff being present, the three white men arrested for the crime were never indicted because witnesses refused to testify.
His Legacy: The Prelude to a Revolution
Smith’s murder served as a grim catalyst. While it didn't receive the international media frenzy that followed Emmett Till's death two weeks later, it sent a shockwave through the local community and the NAACP.
Voter Empowerment: Smith proved that the ballot was the most feared tool in the hands of the oppressed.
The "Forgotten" Martyr: His death is often cited by historians as the "prelude" to the movement, highlighting that the violence in Mississippi was systemic and targeted toward political agency.
Civil Rights Memorial: Today, his name is one of the 40 inscribed on the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama.
Filmography & Media
Because his case was "cold" for decades, much of the media surrounding Smith involves investigative documentaries seeking justice.
"Murder in Black and White: Lamar Smith" (2005): Directed by Keith Beauchamp, this documentary re-examined the evidence of the 1955 killing.
Watch a clip via the Zinn Education Project "Un(re)solved" (PBS Frontline): An award-winning multimedia project that investigates over 150 cold cases from the Civil Rights era.
Explore Lamar Smith's Case Profile "The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till": Smith’s murder is frequently featured as the essential context for the environment in Mississippi during the summer of 1955.
Bibliography & Documentation
The FBI Records: Under the Cold Case Initiative, the FBI released digitized files regarding the investigation into Smith's death.
FBI Vault: Lamar Smith "Local People: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi" by John Dittmer: This definitive history provides extensive context on Smith’s role in the RCNL.
The Civil Rights Memorial Handbook: Produced by the Southern Poverty Law Center, detailing the martyrs of the movement.
Clips: Speeches & Commemoration
While there are no known film clips of Lamar Smith speaking (as he was a private citizen in 1955), his story has been kept alive through the oral histories of his family and modern activists:
Commemorative Clip:
Brookhaven Memorial Ceremony Educational Short:
The Death of Lamar Smith
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