(NAME-MCE) Remembering James Byrd, Jr.

[Anselmo Villanueva]

On the 10th anniversary of the dragging death of James Byrd Jr., ADL leaders
commemorated the racist hate crime and its impact on society during its
national meeting in Austin, Texas. The victim's sister, Mylinda Byrd
Washington, spoke of how his death galvanized support for hate crimes
legislation in Texas and across the country, and thanked ADL for its efforts
to work with the family in raising awareness about the dangers of hate
crime.

Lessons of a Hate Crime: The 10th Anniversary of the Death of James Byrd Jr.
Address by Mylinda Byrd Washington (as prepared)
To the Anti-Defamation League
National Executive Committee Meeting
Austin, Texas, June 6, 2008

http://www.adl.org/combating_hate/byrd_speech.asp

Good Afternoon.  On behalf of the Byrd Family, I want to thank you for
inviting me here today.  It is an honor and a privilege to be among people
who share the same goal that we have – that is to bridge the gap between
ethnic and racial barriers.

My name is Mylinda Byrd Washington, the sister of James Byrd Jr., who was
dragged to death in Jasper, Texas on June 7, 1998 – the victim of a brutal
hate crime.  I am the fifth of eight children born to James and Stella
Byrd.  My parents, now 83 years old, are doing OK despite suffering from the
ills of growing older.  But in spite of their frail condition now, we still
draw encouragement from the strength they exhibited after James' death.  For
example: My father, although he was 74 years old, attended every single day
of the three trials of the men accused of murdering him.  That was six weeks
of sitting all day in a courtroom, listening to sometimes very gruesome and
painful details.  We said, "Daddy, why don't you stay home and rest today?
He would not hear of it.  He said, "I need to be here for you girls.  I can
rest later."  Shortly after the trial, their health started to fail.

Now, let me tell you a little about my brother, James, whom we called
"son."  He was a fun, loving person to be around; enjoyed music and
entertaining us at family gatherings.  He loved his family and was very
protective of his sisters. But he also hated injustices.  We would often
tell him things and his reply would be: "What are you going to do about
it?"  And let me tell you, doing nothing was not an option.  After his
death, we all could hear him saying:  "What are you going to do about it?"
We chose to speak up and try to preach a message of peace and unity.  And
that is where the ADL came to our aid.

Their actions remind me of a wise proverb which states: "There exist
companions disposed to break another to pieces, but there exists a friend
sticking closer than a brother.  The ADL has proven to be a true friend to
our family.  After my brother's death, there were groups that wanted to
foster more hate and division.  We wanted no part of that.  With the ADL, it
was different.  It was clear to us that they were there to assist us as
victims of hate. They have stood by my family, now, for 10 years and have
assisted us in many ways in our fight against prejudice, bigotry, and
discrimination.  Let me share some of the ways they have aided us:

One of the goals of the Byrd Foundation is to provide cultural diversity
training. The ADL has been a valuable resource for materials.  On another
occasion, James' grave was desecrated with racial slurs. Once again, the ADL
provided assistance.  We will always remember your sharing in the planting
of a tree in Jasper and in Israel in James' name.

And now, 10 years later, I stand here among you in commemoration of my
brother, James.  We are truly grateful for all of your support.

You may be wondering, what are some of the positive things that have been
accomplished since James' death?  I would like to mention a few:

1.  *Hate Crime Bill*: In 2001, the state of Texas passed a stronger hate
crime bill, in which my family actively supported.  That bill is named "The
James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crime Bill."  With the passing of this bill, there will
be stiffer penalties for crimes motivated by prejudice or bias based on
race, ethnicity, religion, disability and sexual orientation.  My parents
were present when that bill was signed into law.  This was probably their
last public appearance before their health began to fail.

2. *Established the Byrd Foundation for Racial Healing*: We adopted the
slogan: "Stop the Hate…Educate" because we feel that education is the key if
we are to win the war against hatred and racism.  The Foundation is strongly
committed to doing its part in a public awareness campaign against hate.
Public awareness is the key to facilitate change in our society and can
create an understanding of the need for change and thus motivate one to
action, even though, this is not easy for some.

3. *Scholarships:* In the fall of 1998, Rice University created a special
scholarship called the James Byrd Jr. Memorial Scholarship.  One of the
criteria for the recipient is they must have a strong interest in building
bridges across racial and cultural divides and this interest must be
reflected in their proven abilities to build such bridges. I thought the
words used by the President of Rice University, at the announcement ceremony
of this scholarship were interesting.  And I quote: "Year after year, the
James Byrd Scholarship will enable a young man or woman to come to Rice
University to learn and grow in an environment where understanding between
races, cultures, and religions is meant to flourish.  Imagine that type of
environment!  Isn't that what we all here want to achieve?

The Byrd Foundation has also given out scholarships to deserving students in
the Jasper area eight out of the 10 years.  One of the requirements for the
recipients was to write an essay on the impact of racism in our society.

4.  The Byrd Foundation has also launched an Oral History project on Racism,
which is a vehicle where people of all races can tell their story concerning
the impact racism has had on their lives.  The project director, Lani
Silver, based in San Francisco, have now conducted 2,600 interviews.  It is
our hope that these stories will make people more sensitive to how their
actions affect others, sometimes leaving scars that will never heal.

Finally, Ghandi said: "You must be the change that you want to see in the
world."  So, we must become role models of change. To the representatives of
the ADL, since your establishment in 1913, you have become the role model
for organizations desiring to make a positive impact on their communities.
The fact that hatred and prejudice continue to live on in our society means
more must be done to stamp it out.  Keep up the good work, and it is a
pleasure for The Byrd Family to join with you in this struggle for human
rights.  We won't give up because we know you haven't given up.  Working
together, we will move forward with our public awareness campaigns to end
the cycle of hate.

Thank you for honoring my brother today.