apr 6, 1892 - April 6, 1892 a mob of 80 lynched Isaac Brandon right in front of his pleading little boy in Charles City, Virginia

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A few days prior, several white women shouted the same old tale of "negro outrage" saying that a Black man had broken into their home and tried to assault them. News spread and soon suspicion was placed on Isaac Brandon. Although there was no evidence that he or his young son committed the crime, both of them were arrested and held for several days in jail. On the evening of April 6, a mob of at least 80 white men arrived at the jail and declared that they were going to lynch Mr. Brandon. Although it was the sheriff's duty to protect those in custody, he failed to protect Mr. Brandon or his son from the mob’s actions and the mob successfully broke through the jailhouse door without resistance.

Mr. Brandon and his son pleaded with the mob not to carry out the lynching, and the father protested his innocence, claiming: “You are going to hang an innocent man." His young son clung to him as the mob bound Mr. Brandon’s hands and wrestled him away from his baby boy's side. The mob forced the son back into the jail cell, dragged Mr. Brandon away, and hung him from a tree on the courthouse lawn.
His body was left hanging outside the courthouse until the next morning, and members of the Black community were forced to bear witness to his body in the town square.

There are so many things immorally wrong and evil with this case. FIrstly, why was a little boy ARRESTED and put in an adult jail? It might make it better that he was put with his dad and not separated but still, the boy has absolutely nothing to do with the crime and shouldn't be in jail. Secondly, how inhumane does one have to be to physically wrestle and pry a clinging child away from his father? Where is their remorse? Where is their empathy? Just imagine how saddening and disheartening that situation was; to hear a child plead and beg not to kill their father is something very taxing and heavy on one's heart, which it seems is something those 80 men did not have. Luckily, there was no mention of any harm or killing done to the son. If he was left alive, he was definitely scarred for life.

Again this case is just another example of the blatant disregard and careless attitude towards black life, even when children are involved.

Photo: article on the lynching of Isaac Brandon Apr 6 1892

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