A Black 18-Year-Old College Student Was Lynched On A Playground 95 Years Ago. His Nephew Just Accepted His Posthumous Degree

May 27, 2025

Morehouse College posthumously awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in religion to Dennis Hubert, a Black divinity student who was lynched by seven White men in 1930 at age 18. Hubert's nephew, Imam Plemon El-Amin, accepted the degree during a commencement ceremony where Morehouse President David Thomas honored Hubert as a "son of Morehouse" and "martyr of justice. " This recognition comes after recent community efforts to memorialize Hubert, including the work of the Fulton County Remembrance Coalition and Equal Justice Initiative, who placed a marker at the site of his killing in 2022.

Who is affected

Dennis Hubert's family, particularly his nephew Imam Plemon El-Amin who accepted the posthumous degree
The Hubert family, which has had multiple generations graduate from Morehouse College
Morehouse College students, alumni, and community who are now learning about this historical tragedy
The African American community in Atlanta and beyond
Current and future generations who will learn about Hubert's story
Members of the Fulton County Remembrance Coalition and Equal Justice Initiative who worked to memorialize Hubert

What action is being taken

Morehouse College is posthumously awarding Dennis Hubert a Bachelor of Arts degree in religion
The Fulton County Remembrance Coalition and Equal Justice Initiative are actively working to memorialize Hubert and other lynching victims
Community organizations are collecting soil from the site of Hubert's killing and placing memorial markers
Morehouse College is incorporating Hubert's story into its institutional history and education
Community members are raising awareness about Hubert's story through commemorative events and educational initiatives

Why it matters

Hubert was one of at least 38 lynching victims in Fulton County between 1877 and 1950, representing a broader history of racial violence
The recognition acknowledges a promising young man whose life was cut short by racial terrorism
Many Morehouse graduates were unaware of Hubert's story until recently, showing how this history has been obscured
The memorialization helps address historical injustices and creates "remedies for the harm and suffering" caused by lynching violence
Preserving this history is especially important today when there is "hostility in some spaces to learning the history of struggle and violence against Black people"
It demonstrates that addressing painful history can help communities move forward

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint