Damaged democracy Poll: Americans, braced for violence at inauguration, see country headed wrong way Story, Page 3A MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021 | CLARIONLEDGER.COM PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK Vernon SCHOLARS SAY KING’S MESSAGE Dahmer WAS ABOUT MORE THAN to be ENDING RACISM honored Slain civil rights leader among 9 nationwide in ‘Courageous Class’ Lici Beveridge Mississippi Clarion Ledger USA TODAY NETWORK Fifty-five years after Vernon Dahm- er’s home in the Kelly Settlement just outside Hattiesburg was firebombed by members of the White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, the civil rights leader on Monday will be one of nine people across the country honored for show- ing courage in the face of hate. The Museum of the Courageous chose Dahmer for its inaugural Coura- geous Class because his message still resonates today, said Teresa Vazquez, the museum’s executive director and founding trustee. “What these stories tell us is that even the smallest acts of courage can change history,” she said. “Now, Ver- non Dahmer’s act of courage changed history, and it was not small. It was a huge act.” Dahmer’s mantra, “If you don’t vote, you don’t count,” was especially PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KAYLA FILION/USA TODAY NETWORK; GETTY NETWORK; IMAGES TODAY FILION/USA KAYLA BY ILLUSTRATION PHOTO relevant during the presidential elec- tion amid accusations of voter fraud and challenges to the electoral proc- ess. “I couldn’t think of a better story to tell than Vernon Dahmer’s story,” Vaz- quez said. “We are perhaps seeing some of the biggest voter suppression Melissa Erickson USA TODAY NETWORK See DAHMER, Page 7A There’s more to learn about Martin Luther King Jr., a towering figure in American history and an icon of social justice. As the nation celebrates his birthday, a national holiday on the third Monday of January each year, it’s time to delve deeper into his legacy and how many misunderstand his life’s work to end racial injustice. h “How King is taught and celebrated distorts the reality of the movement and how people opposed it. It clouds our ability to see the past, and that affects the present,” said Jeanne Theoharis, professor of political science at Brooklyn College of CUNY and author of “A More Beautiful and Terrible History: The Uses and Misuses of Civil Rights History.” See MLK, Page 5A Vernon Dahmer Sr. died defending his family from an attack by the Ku Klux Klan in 1966. FILE Security beefed up; no protesters at state Capitol FBI officials had warned tion. before driving away. A woman was seen tional Capitol police and Highway Patrol In Jackson, it was relatively quiet walking her dog down Mississippi troopers were stationed throughout the of possible armed rallies around the Mississippi State Capitol, Street. Capitol grounds while others patrolled like many other capitols across the Late Sunday morning, a man carry- other state and federal buildings as well Lici Beveridge and Justin Vicory country, save for law enforcement and a ing a large umbrella and nondescript as surrounding streets. Mississippi Clarion Ledger handful of journalists and passersby. black bag sat on a slab on the southeast A K-9 unit patrolled the area but did USA TODAY NETWORK Government drones were being used corner of the Mississippi State Capitol. not appear to alert on anything suspi- to enhance surveillance around the He talked on a phone for about 10 min- cious. Security was high Sunday as Capitol Capitol as press photographers gath- utes, looking around the Capitol, occa- Later, Dale Gibson of Jackson arrived Police, Mississippi Highway Patrol and ered. sionally pacing back and forth. at the Capitol to protest the protest, but other law enforcement agencies pre- Beginning just after sunrise, report- Capitol police drove near the man but left after a while because the protesters pared for a protest that never happened. ers and photographers watched and did not approach or appear to speak to had not arrived. FBI officials had warned of possible waited for protesters to appear. him. “I hate Trump,” he told a reporter. armed protests at state capitols across Several people who appeared to be He walked away after about a half He was disappointed that a sign he the country in advance of President- tourists stopped to look at the building hour. elect Joe Biden’s Wednesday inaugura- and take a few pictures of the Capitol Between 10:30 a.m. and noon, addi- See PROTEST, Page 6A Sports Inside Weather Volume 178 | No. 324 Home delivery pricing inside. ❚ Ahead of MLK Day, Mo Williams reflects Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday” High 61° Low 40° Subscribe 877-850-5343. helped create MLK holiday. 4A Sunshine. ©2021 $2.50 QEAJAB-09806v on rise of HBCUs. 1B Forecast, 2A CLARIONLEDGER.COM | MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021 | 7A Dahmer Continued from Page 1A we’ve ever seen in our country — to have Vernon Dahmer remind us that ‘If you don’t vote, you don’t count …’” Dahmer’s son Dennis Dahmer said he and his family are grateful their patri- arch is receiving national recognition. “I thought it was a wonderful thing that they were doing,” he said. “We were honored to be part of the inaugural class to be inducted into the museum.” Dennis Dahmer said it is his family’s mission to make sure Vernon Dahmer’s story is truthfully and accurately docu- mented. “There’s a lot going on in America right now,” he said. “There’s a lot of things being brought to the forefront that’s always been part of America.” Dennis Dahmer compared racism to a submarine — it goes below the surface and occasionally raises its head, but it never really goes away. “It still is a major problem in Amer- ica,” he said. “I would like to see it prop- erly addressed in my lifetime.” In Vernon Dahmer’s lifetime, racism was blatantly rampant. Even after the Voting Rights Act of 1965, white Missis- sippians still tried to find ways to pre- vent Black people from voting. Vernon Dahmer, in addition to lead- Vernon Dahmer’s motto, “If you don’t vote, you don’t count,” is inscribed along the wall where the slain civil rights leader’s ing his local NAACP chapter and provid- statue is located outside the Forrest County Courthouse in Hattiesburg. LICI BEVERIDGE/HATTIESBURG AMERICAN ing resources through his family farm and general store, would spend count- less hours at the Forrest County Court- Museum of the house help Black residents register to vote. Courageous Class of 2021 The inaugural Courageous Class Stories of Dahmer, other honorees includes members of the community to be featured nationally from across the country: h The initial launch of the MOTC inau- Vernon Dahmer Sr., 1966, gural class was planned for mid-No- Hattiesburg, Mississippi: A Mississippi vember, but it was decided that unveil- man who fought Jim Crow-era laws to ing the class of honorees — on a national ensure that Black citizens could freely holiday honoring a man who advocated vote. Dahmer died defending his family and died for civil rights in America — from a white supremacist attack. would be a better choice. h Darnella Frazier, 2020, Minneapolis, “We thought it would be good to Minnesota: Darnella Frazier, 17, filmed launch (the inaugural Courageous the murder of George Floyd, sparking a Class) on MLK Day to honor his memo- global uprising to confront racism and ry,” Vazquez said. “Unfortunately I think police brutality. it’s really timely.” h The stories of Vernon Dahmer and Dr. Shahid Shafi and Texas the others in the inaugural Courageous Republicans, 2019, Tarrant County, Class will be featured on the MOTC Texas: A Republican official in Tarrant website. In addition, their stories will County, Shafi refused to surrender his appear on seven billboards in New York right to religious freedom when a local City, including three in Times Square, group tried to oust him from his and one in Las Vegas. The billboards will leadership role due to his Muslim faith. run for one week. Texas Republicans stood up for Shafi “On an annual basis, we want a list of and reaffirmed his rights. stories on a national level and have peo- h Pamela Raintree, 2014, Shreveport, ple get inspired,” Vazquez said, “things Louisiana: Raintree challenged a city we believe will clearly resonate with council member to cast the first stone people because of the moment in time when he tried to use the Bible to argue that we’re in. That’s in part how we Bettie Dahmer, left, and Dennis Dahmer, right, stand with their mother, Ellie against an ordinance protecting chose our stories of the year.” Dahmer. The three of them survived the Ku Klux Klan firebombing of their home LGBTQ+ people. near Hattiesburg in 1966. Vernon Dahmer Sr. died defending his family. h Museum created to inspire COURTESY OF DAHMER FAMILY Pittsburgh’s Faith Community, 2018, others to stand up to hate Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh’s religious community exemplified The museum was founded to inspire courageous leadership, coming more people to stand up to hate, much together in solidarity across religions to like Dahmer and his family, Vazquez stand firmly against acts of hate in the said. wake of the deadliest anti-Semitic “We need to lift up the undertold sto- attack in America’s history. ries,” she said. h Ricky John Best, Micah Fletcher and White supremacists continually Talliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, 2017, threatened and harassed Vernon Dahm- Portland, Oregon: Three strangers on a er and his family for helping with voter train stood up to protect two young registration — until Jan.