More than a century after William Chandler was taken by a mob and denied his day in court, his story was finally acknowledged in the place where he was silenced.

The Lafayette Community Remembrance Project, in partnership with the Equal Justice Initiative, held a Marker Unveiling Ceremony to honor the memory of Chandler, a Black man lynched in Abbeville in 1894.

The event took place in the vacant lot of the old Abbeville Train Depot, marking the 130th anniversary of Chandler’s death.

Chandler, a recent arrival from Alabama at the time, was accused of robbing a white woman. He was denied due process and protection while in custody, and was subsequently lynched by a mob. No investigation was conducted, and no one was held accountable.

Chandler is one of at least seven documented Black victims of racial terror lynching in Lafayette County, and among at least 684 in Mississippi between 1877 and the 1950s.

“I hope that this memorial will keep history from repeating itself and maybe give some closure to the family and what happened here 130 years ago,” said Abbeville Mayor Scott Fricker.

The event was led by LCRP members Gail Stratton and Alonzo Hilliard. Local blues singer Effie Burt performed “Strange Fruit” before the unveiling of the historical marker.

Since 2017, the LCRP has worked to investigate and publicly share the history of lynching in Lafayette County and to honor the memory of its victims.

“We have come a long way, but yet still have a long way to go,” said Tim Gordon, Lafayette County Supervisor for District 3. “We want everyone to continue to heal and talk about these things so we can heal ourselves, so we move forward to bigger and better things in life.”