Anacostia Community Museum Archives

Byron de la Beckwith papers, circa 1990

Summary

Collection ID:
ACMA.06-051
Creators:
Beckwith, Byron de la
Dates:
circa 1990
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.8 Linear feet
1 box
Repository:
This collection, which dates from circa 1990, contains newsletters from white supremacist organizations and photocopies of articles about Byron de la Beckwith. These items were used as stationery by de la Beckwith while he was in prison in Mississippi and most are liberally covered with his handwriting. On them, de la Beckwith expounds on his ideas of racial segregation and white power. Also present are notes in de la Beckwith's hand, as well as a copy of the Watchdog, a white supremacist newspaper.

Biographical/Historical note

Biographical/Historical note
Byron de la Beckwith (1920-2001) was an American white supremacist and Klansman who was convicted of killing civil rights leader Medgar Evers on June 12, 1963 in Jackson, Mississippi. De la Beckwith was tried for the murder twice in 1964, but in both cases an all-white jury was unable to return a verdict, resulting in mistrials. In 1994 a third jury convicted him of first-degree murder. The 1996 film Ghosts of Mississippi tells the story of the murder and de la Beckwith's eventual conviction.

Administration

Author
Carrie Gehrer
Custodial History note
Donated by Mike Ferraiuolo, 2006.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access note
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
Preferred Citation note
Byron de la Beckwith papers, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution, gift of Mike Ferraiuolo.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Articles Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Correspondence Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photocopies Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hate crimes -- Mississippi Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Racism Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
White supremacy movements Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Newspapers Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Newsletters Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Beckwith, Byron de la Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Anacostia Community Museum Archives
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