Oklahoma county leaders caught on audio talking about killing reporters, complaining they can no longer lynch Black people

Share

Explore Our Galleries

Dr. James Cameron
Portraiture of Resistance
1968 Olympics – A peaceful protest by Daron Wolf
Echoes of Equality: Art Inspired by Memphis and Maya
The Common Great Plantane
The Published Medical Discoveries of the Enslaved Dr. Caesar

Breaking News!

Today's news and culture by Black and other reporters in the Black and mainstream media.

Ways to Support ABHM?

 Corky Siemaszko, NBCBLK

“I am both appalled and disheartened to hear of the horrid comments made by officials in McCurtain County,” Gov. Kevin Stitt said.

Residents call for the resignation of several McCurtain County officials Monday in Idabel, Okla., after tapes with racist comments surfaced.
Photo Credit – Christopher Bryan

The governor of Oklahoma has called for the resignations of the sheriff and other top officials in a rural county after they were recorded talking about “beating, killing and burying” a father/son team of local reporters — and lamenting that they could no longer hang Black people with a “damned rope.”

Gov. Kevin Stitt called for McCurtain County Sheriff Kevin Clardy, county Commissioner Mark Jennings, sheriff’s investigator Alicia Manning, and Jail Administrator Larry Hendrix to step down after the McCurtain County Gazette-News published an article over the weekend about what was captured on the recording.

“I am both appalled and disheartened to hear of the horrid comments made by officials in McCurtain County,” Stitt said in a statement released Sunday. “There is simply no place for such hateful rhetoric in the state of Oklahoma, especially by those that serve to represent the community through their respective office.”

Continue reading the residential reactions

Black communities have been historically terrorized by lynchings

Keep up to date on breaking news here!

Comments Are Welcome

Note: We moderate submissions in order to create a space for meaningful dialogue, a space where museum visitors – adults and youth –– can exchange informed, thoughtful, and relevant comments that add value to our exhibits.

Racial slurs, personal attacks, obscenity, profanity, and SHOUTING do not meet the above standard. Such comments are posted in the exhibit Hateful Speech. Commercial promotions, impersonations, and incoherent comments likewise fail to meet our goals, so will not be posted. Submissions longer than 120 words will be shortened.

See our full Comments Policy here.

Leave a Comment