A spoken word piece by Charlotte artist Hannah Hasan
Before he was found murdered on the land that he called his home he was someone’s neighbor
Probably a reminder of home for them
Probably a safe space to borrow a cup of sugar
To build community together
Probably worked side by side with them
Shared meals and space and time with them
Before he was murdered on the land where he lived with them
He was someone’s husband
Partner in life
He probably loved on and hugged on
Cherished his wife
Made special moments with her
Planned a future, a family
Before he was a victim of a vicious attack
He was somebody’s life mate
Someone’s family.
He was Willie McDaniel.
It was a summer Saturday in June when he went to Mell Grier
The white landowner who was his landlord
To request that Grier pay him for work he and his wife had done
It was a summer day in June when McDaniel simply requested his payment
A Black man asking to be paid for his labor
Grier refused, entered into a scuffle with McDaniel, ran back to his house and pulled out his gun
Willie McDaniel did what anyone would do in the situation
Seeking to save his own life McDaniel would run
A man on a mission
Grier was on the hunt
Ripped through the land searching for McDaniel
Questioning neighbors and even considered filing a warrant with the police
And the very next morning
A sad Sunday morning
A little Black girl would find Willie McDaniel
Face down on the ground
Broken neck and bruised wrists
22 years old, murdered, deceased
The coroner’s report says he died of a broken neck
The news headlines two days later read
Dead negro’s friends claim he was lynched
By July 4th, news article says they found a hanging tree
Not a soul called to justice
Not a murderer named
Another instance of a tree holding hostage lifeless strange fruit
Another family left to find ways to heal through the pain
Before Willie McDaniel was a lynching victim
He was running for his life
Grier was never arrested
But arrested and imprisoned
Would be McDaniel’s neighbors and his wife
Therein exists an unjust truth that is too jagged to swallow yet evident to comprehend
Grier held the power
Because Grier owned the land
Though no one was ever charged with his murder
And some of the details remain unclear
There is no denying a man was lynched on these grounds that we walk on
Laying lifeless moments from his home
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.