Hello, Candi.

I read your response to my original post with great interest. I am sorry that you felt that the resultant posts cast a disparaging light upon your community. However, I was taken aback by your obvious hostile reaction.

My initial intent was to learn more about an incident that I was previously unaware of. This came about solely as a result of my helping a friend learn more about her ancestors (who were African-Americans), who were in Forsyth Co. prior to 1912. I set out looking for marriage records and census records and came across the incident in question quite by accident.

Candi, you stated that your forefathers were among the founders of Forsyth Co. You also stated that we should live in the present.
However, I strongly feel that the actions that occurred in the this country's past, regardless of the region and/or locale, are still relevant and hold a persistant bearing on the attitudes and social and racial climate of today. To paraphrase an old saying, those who are ignorant of the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them.

To be sure, the lynchings that occurred in your area in 1912 were not solely just isolated incidents restricted to just Forsyth Co., but were all too common in numerous areas throughout this country for far too long. Your particular area was mentioned solely because that was the area that I was researching.

As an avid student of history, I have always tried to acquire only accurate information. So, I was particularly curious about your statement that implied that this incident had taken place during the Reconstruction era. It is my understanding that Reconstruction occurred from 1865 to 1877.

This particular website is devoted to African-American genealogy. I do not believe that condemning this entire website based on a few posts (which, by the way, included references to other websites and sources) helps to promote a more positive reflection on present-day Forsyth Co.

Sincerely,

Anita Thompson-Snow