>> HE HAD ALWAYS HAD A SMILE AND EVERYTHING.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE SCARED TO COME TO THE FUNERAL.
THE WHOLE COMMUNITY, THEY FIGURED THAT IF THEY DID IT TO
HIM, THEY WOULD DO IT TO THEM, YOU KNOW?
THEY KNOW BETTER THAN TO TRY TO SAY ANYTHING AGAINST THE WHITE
MAN.
>> AFTER HER HUSBAND WAS KILLED, TO ADD INSULT TO THE ENORMOUS
INJURY THAT HAD BEEN DONE TO HER FAMILY, SHE WAS ARRESTED AND
HELD AS AN ACCESSORY AFTER THE FACT.
>> THEY LOCK UP MY MOTHER BECAUSE THEY SAID SHE WAS HIDING
GUS DAVIDSON, AND GUS HAD NEVER BEEN TO OUR HOUSE.
EVEN BEFORE THIS HAPPENED.
WE JUST KNEW EACH OTHER, WE WERE NOT FRIENDS.
>> FORTUNATELY FOR HER, SHE HAD A GOOD LAWYER, A WHITE MAN WHO
PROTECTED HER FROM WHAT HARRIS COUNTY AND DREW COUNTY WANTED TO
BE HER FATE.
>> THE CHIEF OF HARRIS COUNTY POLICE, WHO TOOK THE BLAME FOR
KILLING HENRY GILBERT STATED THAT HE KILLED HIM OUT OF
SELF-DEFENSE.
AFTER THIS EXPLANATION WAS GIVEN , THERE WAS REALLY A HALFHEARTED
INVESTIGATION.
>> NONE OF THE FORENSIC EVIDENCE SUPPORTED THE POLICE CHIEF,
CHIEF BUCHANAN,’S STORY ABOUT HOW HE DIED.
>> THE GILBERTS LOST THEIR 100 EVAN -- 111 ACRES OF LAND, THEY
HAD TO SELL IT, THEY MOVED AWAY AND NO JUSTICE WAS SERVED.
>> IT WAS ROUGH.
WE HAD TO GIVE THE FARM AWAY.
MAMA HAD A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN AND WASN’T ABLE TO WORK FOR A GOOD
WHILE.
>> SHE COULDN’T HARDLY TALK TO ANYBODY.
SHE DIDN’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.
>> SHE HAD A SPELL, SHE WAS SHAKING AND THEY COULDN’T GET
HER TO STOP SHAKING.
>> HE WAS BRUTALLY, UNJUSTLY MURDERED BECAUSE HIM AND MY
GRANDMOTHER HAD THE WHEEL -- THE WILL IN THE WISDOM TO BUILD
SOMETHING IN A TIME THAT BECAUSE OF YOUR COLOR, YOU WERE NOT
SUPPOSED TO GET TO HAVE THIS.
>> THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE RESEARCH WAS BECOMING CLOSE WITH THE
GILBERT FAMILY.
[LAUGHTER] >> HE’S GOT SOME TRAITS IN HIM.
>> IT’S ALSO A HEALING PROCESS FOR THEM AND WE GOT TO WITNESS
THAT AS LAW SCHOOL STUDENTS, THIS FAMILY WORKING THROUGH THIS
REALLY PAINFUL MOMENT TOGETHER.
>> MY GRANDFATHER, HENRY GILBERT, JUST HEARING ABOUT THEM
IS REALLY AMAZING.
>> WE HAD KNOWN ABOUT IT FOR A WHILE, BUT WITH MY MOTHER YOU
WERE KNOWN NEVER TO ASK ABOUT HER FATHER.
>> MY MOTHER HAD BUILT UP A WALL .
WE TALKED TO HER AFTER THIS AND SHE SHARED MORE THAN SHE
NORMALLY DID BUT EACH TIME THERE’S A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SHE’S CONSTANTLY LETTING DOWN THE WALLS, SO I THINK A LOT OF
HER WOUNDS HAVE BEEN HEALED AND AFTER 70 YEARS NOW SHE’S FREE TO
TALK ABOUT IT.
>> ITS PAIN AND JOY AT THE SAME TIME.
YOU KNOW?
THE PAIN IS WHEN I THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY SUFFERED.
THE JOY IS YOU GUYS ENLIGHTEN US ON WHAT THEY SUFFERED.
>> WHAT’S MADE CLEAR BY THIS CASE IS THAT IT DOESN’T MATTER
HOW MUCH INFLUENCE YOU HAVE IN YOUR OWN COMMUNITY, HOW
PROMINENT A CITIZEN YOU ARE.
IF THE WHITE SHERIFF THOUGHT THAT YOU SHOULD BE ELIMINATED,
THAT WAS POSSIBLE.
THE GILBERTS HAD ACCUMULATED A MEASURE OF WEALTH.
WHERE IS THE DAVIDSON’S WERE SHARECROPPERS ON A PLANTATION IN
THE AREA.
>> GUS DAVIDSON RAN BECAUSE HE KNEW HE WOULD BE SUBJECTED
LIKELY TO A LYNCHING IF HE STAYED AND HE MANAGED TO ESCAPE
AND ESTABLISH A NEW LIFE FOR HIMSELF IN NEWARK, NEW JERSEY,
WHERE HE WORKED AND SUPPORTED A FAMILY UNTIL HE WAS UNCOVERED BY
THE FBI AND THEN RETURNED TO GEORGIA TO FACE TRIAL.
SHAY