A spoken word piece by Charlotte artist Hannah Hasan
Before he was a murder victim
He was somebody’s son
Some mother’s child
I bet she prayed for him at night
Bet she remembered him in her dreams
I bet she dreamed for him a different, safer, more secure life
Before he would make the history books
First lynching documented in Charlotte — he was a brother
Somebody’s little brother
Probably annoying
Probably a sparring partner
But definitely a brother
Partner in mischief
Partner in adolescence
Before he lay body on the ground
A human target
He was a human person sharing life with other humans together
He was Joe McNeely
And Joe had been sick with fever before it happened
Mama left and Joe made the choice to go outside of the home
The police were called
A man is brandishing a gun and shooting at people, get here quickly, or so they said
No record that any person was shot or harmed
But the police did come
Officer Wilson straight to the scene
But not before being told “It might be a good chance for you to use that new gun”
Words of permission from the police chief
Officer hopped on his motorcycle and was there in minutes
Approached McNeely and the officer was shot
He shot back
Hit his target and kept going
Didn’t stop there
Beat Joe McNeely with a blackjack
Beat him so good he’ll remember
Beat him into submission
Now send him to the Good Samaritan, the Black hospital
And for good measure
Leave the white cops with him
Chain him down to the bed
Remind him that he belongs in chains
Flashback to family history of enslavement
Flashback from the years that he and his brothers were on the chain gang
And the news spread
Headlines incited fury and rage
Then the mob gathered, at least 35 white men
Armed with enough ammunition to make McNeely pay
A scene so vicious the nurse warned them when she saw them coming
Y’all not gon’ do this here today
But those warnings fell flat
They broke down the door
And thus commenced the hunting
Storm the hospital
Overpower the two police guards
Disrobe and snatch McNeely
Outside with his body
Life ended by an angry mob
Riddled with bullets
Shot him indiscriminately
35 on one
Naked young man whose moment had met his time
No one would ever be charged for Charlotte’s first lynching on record
But if you seek deeply enough
The blood of Joe McNeely is what you will find
The current location:
Carolina Panthers’ stadium
The soil is watered
Where his cruel fate was ordered
Somebody’s son
Somebody’s brother
Lynched by an angry mob
Motivated by a superiority complex fueled in fear
A reminder of the cruel history that
Guards these grounds
There is no debating or denying that
It happened here.
A poet, playwright, biographer, storytelling guide, writer, and producer of prolific works of performance art; Hannah Hasan uses the powers of the written and spoken word to document the world that surrounds her.