A gala to celebrate the Martinsville 7’s pardon in 2021 by former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam will be held at 6 p.m. on August 31, in the New College Institute (NCI) on Fayette Street.
The men – Frank Hairston, Jr., Booker T. Millner, Howard Lee Hairston, James Luther Hairston, John Claybon Taylor, Frances DeSales Grayson, and Joe Henry Hampton – were a group of young African American men who were accused of a sexual crime against a white woman in 1949.
Several efforts were made by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Virginia to ensure they would receive fair trials. However, the Virginia State Supreme Court rejected any appeals against the ruling. Each of the men accused were executed by the state government in the largest mass execution in United States history. It is also notable that exclusively only black males had been punished with the death penalty for the charge of rape. Seventy years later, a mass letter and
fundraising campaign achieved a pardon for the seven men, according to Faye Holland, an organizer
of the Martinsville 7 Initiative.
Holland, who has been with the effort since its inception, noted that the gala is a black-tie event that will include a live music show, a catered dinner, speakers and meetings with the surviving family members of those men lost.
Holland noted that as time passes and distance with the tragedy grows access to those voices with direct experience is lost and stressed the importance of keeping oral history alive and preserving as much of that history as possible.
Holland said her experience so far with running the event has been great and she has been happy with the progress and the help she’s received from the Martinsville community.
The initiative is seeking funding and donations from anyone interested in supporting the cause as it works on a project to create a center for social justice which will house information, and studies related to the case. The center also would raise awareness of the case, and the opportunity to learn more about legal issues related to people of color, as well as provide educational scholarships.
The initiative is a nonprofit 501c organization with a full board and membership. It relies on donations and efforts from volunteers and plans on hosting the annual event and fund other projects.
To learn more or get involved, visit https://martinsville7initiative.org/
