Hate Crime Victim Laid To Rest
After a highly public death, James Byrd's family wanted a quiet and private funeral. The 49-year-old black man's brutal murder stunned the nation last week. Three white men who had previously been linked with white supremacist groups, were charged with chaining Byrd to a pickup and dragging him to death.
"I think we are going to be completely devastated, and the reality is going to set in. And that's why we want privacy," said Byrd's sister, Clara Taylor told CBS News Correspondent Jim Axelrod.
But the glare of the national spotlight was working against the family on Saturday. Politicians, activists, and even a shotgun-toting group calling itself the New Black Panthers were drawn to Byrd's funeral.
"This is America's new catalyst. This might be the civil rights movement of the new millenium," said Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas.
Jasper, Texas, is the newest national stage for a discussion about race. The brutal murder of Byrd, which officials are calling a hate crime, may just be the start.
"But the call nowÂ…is for the Republican Congress to stop its attack on affirmative action," said Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, D-Texas.
An overflow crowd filled the church to say goodbye to Byrd. Investigators say he was murdered simply because he was black. But on the day of his funeral, James Byrd the man quickly gave way to James Byrd the symbol.
"This is a unique situation and one we hope is not repeated. but oneÂ…quite frankly we fear might be," said Kweisi Mfume, the president of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. On Friday, Kweisi called on Americans of all races to join Sunday for a national day of mourning in memory of Byrd.
Others who came to honor Byrd and his family included Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater, Houston Mayor Lee Brown and community activist Al Sharpton.
Rev. Jesse Jackson, who conducted the funeral service, is challenging President Clinton to hold a town meeting here. Byrd's family said they wish Byrd had all this attention when he was alive.
"I don't want to turn it into a circus where everyone uses it for a jumping board for their particular cause," Taylor said.
But Taylor understands her brother no longer belongs just to her family.
"I think it's good that everyone's gotten involved because it brought prejudice and racism to the forefront. It's a time to think about what can we do to correct the problem. We know what the problems are - now, what can we do about them?" Taylor asked.
Three white men - Lawrence Russell Brewer, 31, Shawn Allen Berry and King, both 23, are charged with Byrd's murder. The suspects remain jailed without bond while a multi-agency task force led by the FBI investigates. Authorities may seek the death penalty, depending on the evidence they gather.