We all know some parts of Mississippi are several years behind the rest of the country on race relations. That doesn’t make an incident in Smith County, about an hour south of Jackson, any less horrific. A man got worked up into a lather after finding out his stepfather allowed his mixed-race grandchildren to spend this past weekend with him–and ended up beating and shooting his stepfather.
Craig Wilson and his family are white. His daughter, Laura Runnels, has three children from a black man. Wilson loves those kids like his own. However, his stepson, Jeff Daniels, isn’t too keen on having half-black relatives in his family. When Daniels found out Wilson had allowed the kids to stay over for the weekend, he and his son stormed to the house and got into a heated argument with Wilson. When Wilson ordered Daniels to leave, Daniels put on a pair of brass knuckles and chased Wilson around the house. Daniels managed to corner Wilson and beat him severely. Somehow, Daniels got his hands on Wilson’s gun and shot Wilson in the stomach.
As far as Wilson’s family is concerned, what happened to Wilson was a hate crime. Julie Wilson told WLBT in Jackson that two weeks ago, someone burned a cross in her brother’s yard. However, the Smith County sheriff, at least for now, doesn’t consider this a hate crime. Incredibly, even though he shot Wilson in the stomach, Daniels is only charged with aggravated assault. Shortly after the story first aired, Daniels was released on $20,000 bond. Wilson is currently in critical condition at University Medical Center in Jackson.
As a black man who has dated mostly white women–including my current girlfriend–this hits a nerve with me. If I ever end up marrying a white woman and having kids, I wouldn’t want anyone butting in about where they choose to spend the night or with whom they choose to spend the night. The fact you even have to worry about that in 2014 proves we still have a long way to go to true equality in this country. There’s one reason to have hope, though–the commenters on this story have been almost unanimous in their support of Wilson and the kids. If those are any indication, those kids may grow up in a Mississippi that’s much more welcoming and tolerant. And that can only be a good thing.
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Darrell Lucus is a radical-lefty Jesus-lover who has been blogging for change for a decade. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook.
