On this day in 1960, white mob attacked 125 protestors on Biloxi Beach

By On Apr 24, 2024

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April 24, 1960

Credit: Courtesy of University of Mississippi Press

A mob attacked about 125 protesters, including Dr. Gilbert Mason, with bricks, chains, baseball bats, cue sticks and pipes after they walked onto “whites-only” Biloxi Beach.

Police arrested the protesters, instead of those acting violently. By the time dawn broke, more than 20 Black Mississippians had been injured.

“Tetanus shots had to be administered, gashes were sewn, and eye and head injuries were tended to. Most of the demonstrators were beaten badly as onlookers, such as the law enforcement, stood watching,” the Mississippi Civil Rights Project wrote.

Before the week ended, two Black youths, Malcomb Jackson, a member of Mason’s scout troop, and Bud Strong had become victims of the racist violence. A U.S. National Science Foundation ocean research vessel under construction will be named after Mason to honor the legacy of him and his family.

The stories of investigative reporter Jerry Mitchell have helped put four Klansmen and a serial killer behind bars. His stories have also helped free two people from death row, exposed injustices and corruption, prompting investigations and reforms as well as the firings of boards and officials. He is a Pulitzer Prize finalist, a longtime member of Investigative Reporters & Editors, and a winner of more than 30 other national awards, including a $500,000 MacArthur “genius” grant. After working for three decades for the statewide Clarion-Ledger, Mitchell left in 2019 and founded the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting.

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