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Ernest Thomas, the Black Man Killed After Being Wrongfully Accused of Raping a White Woman in 1949

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Ernest Thomas, the Black Man Killed After Being Wrongfully Accused of Raping a White Woman in 1949


The story of Ernest Thomas is a tragic example of racial injustice that occurred in the United States in the mid-20th century. Thomas was an African American man who was accused of a crime he did not commit and subsequently faced a horrific fate.

Ernest Thomas was an African American man living in the Jim Crow South during the 1940s. He was born in Madison County, Florida, a place known for its deeply rooted racial segregation and prejudice. African Americans in this region faced systemic discrimination and were often subjected to brutal acts of violence and injustice.

In 1949, Ernest Thomas was one of the “Groveland Four”, three young Black men and one 16-year-old Black boy, who were falsely accused of raping 17-year-old Norma Padgett and assaulting her husband in Groveland, Florida. This accusation came at a time when racial tensions were extremely high, and the mere accusation of a black man assaulting a white woman could lead to deadly consequences as allegations against African Americans were rarely scrutinized.


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