Lynching of 15-Year-Old Willie James Howard Suwannee County, Florida

Willie James Howard, a 15-year-old African-American male, was lynched by three white males for sending a love letter to the white daughter of one of the men who’d kidnapped and lynched him.[1]It was Christmas time in 1943, and Willie was sending out cards to every one of his co-workers who were employed in Live Oak, Florida at the Van Priest Dime Store.[2]Willie was obviously ‘in the Christmas spirt’ by expressing ‘joy’ of the holiday by sending out these Christmas cards, no harm in that…right? It was ok, until he got a little too personal with one of his co-workers, Cynthia Goff.

            Cynthia, who was a white female store employee, card displayed a very harmless youthful crush made by Willie.[3]The history of deep racism within the United States, both Black and White people knew they did not mix, nor was any Black males permitted in looking at a white female or touching one. So, expressing interests in one, was certainly off limits. Willie’s card to Cynthia expressed “hope that white people would someday like Black people and concluded with I love your name. I love your voice. For a S.H. (sweetheart) you are my choice.”[4]Harmless, literally no harm done if this was a society that displayed respect for ALL people. Just a teenager showing, what is considered to be puppy-love (harmless). The fact that he basically wished racism would come to an end, was even more heartfelt that he was killed, because of racism.

            After Phil Goff, Cynthia’s dad, read Howard’s card to Cynthia, he had two friends of his accompany him to Willie’s home and demanded to speak to 15-year-old Willie. Willie’s mother begged and pleaded with the men on behalf of her son, but her pleas were ignored and the men dragged her son away from their home anyway.[5]Then they went to Willie’s father work, where they forced him to come with them too.[6]The three men then drove Willie and his father to the Suwanee River embankment, where they bound Willie’s feet and hands, “stood him at the edge of the water, and told him to either jump of be shot.”[7]Out of fear of being shot, Willie jumped into the chilled water and drowned as his father helplessly watched.[8]The terror and helplessness Willie’s father must have felt in not being able to save and protect his son is just heartbreaking.

In the end, Willie’s lifeless body was removed from the river.[9]Phil and his accomplices did admit to the local sheriff, how they only took Willie to the river to punish him, but falsely claimed that Willie jumped in the river on his own after becoming hysterical and unprovoked from Willie thinking his father was going to whip (spank) him for the love letter.[10]But, after witnessing the senseless tragic death of his own son and fear of retaliation against the members of his family and his own life, Willie’s father signed a statement corroborating Phil and his accomplices story.[11]Three days after Willie’s death, his family fled from Live Oak and shared the true story behind the lynching of their son when it was safe for them.[12]It’s heartbreaking how Willie had a harmless crush and dreams of racism ending to tragically losing his life because of it.

[1]The Equal Justice Initiative, “15-Year-Old Boy Lynched in Florida for Sending Love Note,” A History of Racial Injustices, 2 January 1944, https://calendar.eji.org/racial-injustice/jan/02.

[2]The Equal Justice Initiative. 

[3]Ibid.

[4]Ibid.

[5]Ibid.

[6]The Equal Justice Initiative.

[7]Ibid.

[8]Ibid.

[9]Ibid.

[10]Ibid.

[11]Ibid.

[12]Ibid.

Bibliography

The Equal Justice Initiative, “15-Year-Old Boy Lynched in Florida for Sending Love Note,”A 

History of Racial Injustices, 2 January 1944, https://calendar.eji.org/racialinjustice/jan/02.