Truth and Reconciliation in Mid-Missouri

Most readers of this blog are probably aware of some of the notable developments in Columbia, MO, as it revisits the story of the James Scott lynching. They are varied enough, however, to merit a short recap. Rev. Clyde Ruffin of the Second Baptist Church is heading a large and active committee that is raising funds to put a proper headstone on the grave of James Scott, a stone that will note on the reverse side the circumstances of his death. The monument project has been endorsed by more than a dozen significant organizations, including the Office of the Mayor, the State Historical Society, the Black Law Students Association at UMC, and the Boone County Historical Society. The fundraising effort will officially begin with a kickoff event this upcoming Sunday, November 7, at Second Baptist. It will culminate when the gravestone is placed next April, 88 years after Scott's death.

Largely because of the efforts of Scott Wilson, one member of the monument committee, Scott's death certificate has been altered in a way that shows both the original coroner's finding that his having "committed rape" was a contributory cause of death and the current coroner's finding that Scott was never convicted of rape.

In January and February, there will be programs about the Scott lynching at the Osher Lifelong Learning Center (University of Missouri), the State Historical Society, and the Columbia Public Library.

Heartening, all this. As every serious local historian learns, communities have a much heartier appetite for upbeat stories about their past than downbeat ones. But in this case, Columbia seems willing to look squarely at a terrible incident from its past—willing to undo some of the harm, if possible, and to consider what lessons can be learned.