Saturday Open Thread: Jim Crow Terrorism – What We Must Never Forget 

Willie’s World: Two Realities for Black Children in Jim Crow America

Willie James Howard was born on July 13, 1928, to James and Lula Howard in Live Oak, Florida. The Howards were hardworking, determined people who achieved a rare feat for Black families during the Jim Crow era—they owned their own land. James worked at the Bond Howell Lumber Company, while Lula cared for their home and their only child, Willie.

At home, Willie was a joyful boy known to his family as “Giddy-boy.” He loved singing and whistling and was described as lovable and full of life. But outside the safety of his home, Willie, like all Black children of his time, faced a world defined by racial violence and subjugation. Jim Crow laws permeated every aspect of life, forcing Black people into an oppressive caste system where the smallest perceived offense against white supremacy could lead to violent retribution.

This dual existence—being a carefree child at home and a potential target of racial terror outside—was the reality for Black children in the South. Social scientist John Dollard once noted that the threat of lynching was ingrained in the consciousness of Black children from an early age. This haunting awareness was a constant presence in Willie’s life, and tragically, it became his reality.

Live Oak: A Town Steeped in Racial Violence

Live Oak, the county seat of Suwannee County, had a history that reflected the broader racial tensions of the South. After the Civil War, Black men briefly held positions of political power in Suwannee County, including seats on the County Commission and as justices of the peace. But with the end of Reconstruction, white supremacy regained its grip, and Live Oak became a microcosm of Jim Crow oppression.

Between 1890 and 1900, six Black men were lynched in Suwannee County. These acts of terror were meant to reinforce racial hierarchies and suppress Black resistance. By the time Willie was born in 1928, Live Oak was a town where racial violence was not only common but normalized. The stage was set for Willie to become another victim of this systemic brutality.

Live Oak: A Town Steeped in Racial Violence

Live Oak, the county seat of Suwannee County, had a history that reflected the broader racial tensions of the South. After the Civil War, Black men briefly held positions of political power in Suwannee County, including seats on the County Commission and as justices of the peace. But with the end of Reconstruction, white supremacy regained its grip, and Live Oak became a microcosm of Jim Crow oppression.

Between 1890 and 1900, six Black men were lynched in Suwannee County. These acts of terror were meant to reinforce racial hierarchies and suppress Black resistance. By the time Willie was born in 1928, Live Oak was a town where racial violence was not only common but normalized. The stage was set for Willie to become another victim of this systemic brutality.

A Simple Gesture Turns Deadly

In the fall of 1943, Willie began working at Van Priest’s Dime Store, a small shop in Live Oak where he cleaned, took out the trash, and restocked shelves. It was a job he enjoyed, offering him a break from the grueling farm work common for many Black youth. However, working in close proximity to white people came with its own dangers.

During the Christmas holiday, Willie decided to give cards to his coworkers, including a white girl named Cynthia Goff, who was the same age as him. Accounts differ on the exact contents of the card and a follow-up note Willie allegedly wrote. Some claim it was a simple gesture of kindness, while others say Willie included the lyrics to a popular song Cynthia had asked him to write down. Regardless, the act of a Black boy writing anything to a white girl was considered a grave violation of Jim Crow’s racial codes.

Cynthia’s father, Phil Goff, saw Willie’s note as an attack on his family’s honor. Goff, a prominent figure in Live Oak and a former Florida state legislator, quickly mobilized his neighbors Seldon McCullers and Reginald Scott to retaliate. In their eyes, Willie’s innocence and intentions were irrelevant—his race made him guilty.

The Lynching of Willie James Howard

On January 2, 1944, three white men arrived at the Howard family’s home with a singular and sinister purpose: to punish 15-year-old Willie for crossing the racial boundaries of Jim Crow. Leading the group was Phil Goff, a former member of the Florida House of Representatives and a prominent figure in Live Oak’s white community. Enraged by Willie’s note to his daughter Cynthia, Goff enlisted his neighbor Seldon McCullers and his brother-in-law Reginald Scott to join him in enacting Jim Crow’s brand of “justice.”

The Kidnapping

On the morning of January 2, Goff, McCullers, and Scott first went to the home of Edward McPherson, the principal of Willie’s school. They demanded directions to the Howard residence, a move that would later implicate McPherson in the chain of events, though likely under duress. After obtaining the directions, the men drove to the Howard family’s modest home.

Willie was at Van Priest’s Dime Store when he heard that white men were looking for him. Terrified, he ran home to warn his mother, Lula. Moments later, Goff, McCullers, and Scott arrived. Armed and intent on their mission, the men confronted Lula, demanding to see her husband, James, and her son, Willie. When Willie appeared, Goff grabbed him. Lula desperately tried to pull her son back, but Goff brandished a gun, pointing it directly at her. Facing the threat of immediate violence, Lula made the impossible decision to release her hold on her son, hoping to save her own life and perhaps buy time to seek help.

Willie was dragged to the men’s car, where they forced him inside. In an additional act of cruelty, the men then drove to James Howard’s workplace, the Bond Howell Lumber Company, and persuaded his boss to release him under the guise of needing his assistance. When James approached the car, he saw his son in the backseat, frightened and being held at gunpoint by McCullers. Without knowing the full extent of what was to come, James complied with the men’s demands and got into the car, joining his son.

A Sinister Plan at the Suwannee River

The men drove father and son down Suwannee Springs Road, turning onto a dirt path that led to the Suwannee River. Along the way, James tried to comfort his son, but he was silenced by Goff. At the riverbank, the men retrieved a rope from the car, tying Willie’s hands and feet. James and Willie were then ordered to walk to the edge of the riverbank.

At this point, the true horror of the men’s plan became clear. They intended to make Willie pay for the perceived insult to Cynthia Goff by taking his life. In a sickening display of power, Goff turned to James and asked whether he approved of the punishment. James, desperate to save his son, pleaded with the men for mercy, but his words were ignored.

The mob gave Willie an impossible choice: jump into the river or face death by gunshot. Crying and terrified, Willie told Goff he understood the punishment. Before he jumped, Willie asked his father to take his wallet—a small, heartbreaking gesture of acknowledgment that these were his last moments.

James offered his son final words of comfort, saying, “Willie, I cannot do anything for you now. I’m glad I have belonged to the Church and prayed for you.” With that, Willie backed up to the edge of the riverbank and fell into the water, his body disappearing into the depths. The men held James back, preventing him from attempting to save his son.

Afterward, Goff, McCullers, and Scott drove James back to town. They threatened him, warning that if he ever told anyone what truly happened, he would face the same fate as Willie.

A Town Complicit in Injustice

The aftermath of Willie’s murder was a grotesque display of systemic racism. Local authorities, including the sheriff, conspired to cover up the crime. James Howard was forced to sign statements corroborating the mob’s fabricated story that Willie had chosen to jump into the river to avoid punishment. The sheriff also ensured that no coroner’s inquest would take place, effectively erasing any chance of justice.

The Howards were left shattered. Within days, they fled Live Oak, selling their home and leaving behind the community they had worked so hard to build. Their only child was gone, and the men responsible for his death faced no consequences. Instead, they returned to their lives as respected members of Live Oak’s white community.

The Fight for Justice

Word of Willie’s lynching eventually reached the NAACP. Black leaders like Thurgood Marshall and Harry T. Moore took up the case, pushing for an investigation and accountability. Governor Spessard Holland convened a grand jury in May 1944, but the proceedings were a mockery of justice. The jury dismissed James Howard’s testimony, refused to indict the perpetrators, and effectively closed the case.

Despite the NAACP’s efforts, justice for Willie remained elusive. The U.S. Department of Justice declined to pursue federal charges, citing a lack of evidence. The systemic racism that had allowed Willie’s murder to occur also ensured that it would go unpunished.

A Family Forever Haunted

For James and Lula Howard, the loss of their only child was an unbearable weight. Lula lived until 2004, carrying the pain of Willie’s death for 60 years. James, who had been forced to witness his son’s lynching, suffered in silence until his death. Their lives were irreparably altered by an act of unimaginable cruelty that the world chose to ignore.

The white men who murdered Willie lived long, untroubled lives. Phil Goff died in 1969, Seldon McCullers in 1968, and Reginald Scott in 1983. Cynthia Goff, whose family’s outrage set these events into motion, lived until 2011. Willie, by contrast, was denied the chance to grow up, to love, and to build a life of his own.