Newman O'Neal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Newman O'Neal
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News Article of the incident on a map of Hobson City
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| Mayor of Hobson City, Alabama | |
| In office ? – July 1919 |
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Newman O'Neal was an important leader, serving as the mayor of Hobson City, Alabama. He had to leave his position after receiving threats and being attacked.
Hobson City: A Special Town
Hobson City, Alabama, has a unique history. It was created to give African American citizens their own town. In the late 1800s, the mayor of Oxford, Alabama, changed Oxford's town limits. This was done to exclude many Black voters from Oxford's elections.
Because of this, a new town was formed. Hobson City was officially created on August 16, 1899. A newspaper at the time, The Peoples' Journal, called it special. It was "the only municipality controlled and governed entirely by colored people anywhere in the United States." The newspaper wondered how this new town would succeed.
The first mayor was S. L. Davis. James Duran was the first police chief. They helped bring police protection back to the area. The town was named after Richmond P. Hobson. He was a white naval hero and a member of Congress.
Threats Against Mayor O'Neal
In the summer of 1919, Newman O'Neal was the mayor of Hobson City. He worked hard for his community. However, he started getting threats. These threats came in letters with a scary symbol: a skull and crossbones.
Mayor O'Neal tried to ignore the threats. But then, he was attacked by unknown people. He was seriously hurt. Because of this, he had to leave Hobson City and move north in July 1919. The acting mayor, J. D. Kirksey, also received a similar threatening letter. Experts believe these kinds of threats were often used by groups like the Ku Klux Klan.
The Red Summer of 1919
What happened to Mayor O'Neal was part of a larger period of unrest in the United States. This time was called the "Red Summer" of 1919. During this summer, there were many attacks on African American communities. White mobs often attacked Black neighborhoods.
However, in some cities, African American groups fought back. This happened especially in Chicago and Washington, D.C.. These events showed the challenges and struggles many African Americans faced during this time.
