Funds to Memorialize 1892 Black Lynching Victim
Tax deductible
“To overcome racial inequality, we must confront our history.”
- Equal Justice Initiative, Montgomery, Alabama
Between 1865 and 1950 almost 6,500 lynchings of African Americans occurred in the United States. While far more frequent in the former slave holding states of the South, such terror inspiring violence also took place in the North. One such horrific injustice occurred on June 2, 1892 when the alleged rape of a white woman fueled a race and rumor crazed mob to brutally murder Robert Lewis, a 28 year-old Black resident of Port Jervis, New York. Though reportedly witnessed by thousands, no one was held accountable for his death.
Born in New Jersey just outside of Port Jervis, Robert Lewis was no stranger to his community. Port Jervis was where he lived, worked, and had family. It is also where he was killed by his fellow citizens and then buried while his mother wept inconsolably over his grave.
By remembering the hard object lesson his story tells, a meaningful step is taken towards the truth and reconciliation that helps to ensure a murder like his will not be repeated, or made more unjust by simply being forgotten.
Donations to this fund will be used for the purchase of a historical marker to be placed near the lynching site in Port Jervis with its dedication expected to be on the June 2, 2022 anniversary date. Donations are being directed to The Minisink Valley Historical Society, a registered nonprofit in Port Jervis, which is working with and acting on behalf of Friends of Robert Lewis. Thank you one and all!
Friends of Robert Lewis is a diverse group of like-minded people working to nurture community engagement and education in pursuit of its social justice aims that include giving voice to histories too often not heard.
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Tentative Marker inscription:
Title: 1892 LYNCHING
Body: ON JUNE 2ND ROBERT LEWIS, A LOCAL BLACK RESIDENT, WAS MOB LYNCHED NEAR THIS SITE. NO ONE WAS HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR HIS MURDER.
Bob Lewis’ Encounter with the ‘Great Death:’ Port Jervis’ Entrance into the ‘United States of Lyncherdom (2003) By Kristopher B. Burrell, PhD, CUNY Hostos Community College
A scanned copy of the June 9, 1892 Port Jervis Tri-States Union newspaper article covering the lynching is here: https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031675/1892-06-09/ed-1/seq-1/
Organizer
Friends Of Robert Lewis
Organizer
Port Jervis, NY
Minisink Valley Historical Society
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.
