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Jasper county courthouse trials7/21/2023 He graduated from Jasper's Rowe High School in 1967 as part of the last segregated class before getting married and having three children, according to the Anti-Defamation League.Īt the time of his murder in 1998, Byrd was divorced and unemployed, according to the Washington Post. was raised in Beaumont, Texas alongside his eight siblings. Who Is James Byrd Jr.?īorn in 1949 to Stella and James Byrd Sr., Byrd Jr. "I had to release the hate that I had held on for so many years because I wanted to live a life of prosperity and a life of peace," Jaime Byrd told Peoplein July 2022. It's a small comfort to the families of Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr., who have sought to forgive the men's respective killers. RELATED: What Happened To Matthew Shepard’s Killers? The act, signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2009, provided funds and expanded upon federal criminal laws regarding crimes committed because of someone's perceived race or sexual orientation. Since then, Byrd's three children have found some purpose in his senseless killing through the creation of The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009. James Byrd Jr.'s brutal murder in Texas may seem reminiscent of the racially motivated lynchings and beatings of the Civil Rights Era, but in reality, it was only 25 years ago that he was killed by Shawn Berry, Lawrence Brewer, and John King.
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