Benjamin Brown (activist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Benjamin Brown
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| Born | May 12, 1945 |
| Died | May 12, 1967 (aged 22) Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi
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| Resting place | Sweet Rest Cemetery, Pearl, Rankin County, Mississippi, US |
| Occupation | Student |
Benjamin Brown (May 12, 1945 – May 12, 1967) was an African-American student at Jackson State University active in the civil rights movement, killed on campus during a standoff between law enforcement and students. Upon encountering the standoff (at the sidelines) after picking up a sandwich from a cafe to bring back to his wife, he was shot by two stray shotgun blasts from law enforcement firing into the crowd. No arrests were ever made.
In 2001, a Hinds County grand jury reviewed the case and blamed two deceased officers: Jackson police officer Buddy Kane and Mississippi Highway Patrolman Lloyd Jones. The Brown family filed a lawsuit and settled for $50,000 from the city of Jackson. There has been no marker on the JSU campus recognizing the events that took place.
The Southern Poverty Law Center memorialized Benjamin Brown as a civil rights martyr on a memorial designed by Maya Lin.
