John Troublefield’s life was in peril. It was the usual charge in 1930s North Carolina – two white women accused him of assault, and the sheriff didn’t even bother to investigate. In fact, the sheriff had something else in mind altogether.
As Troublefield fled from the white people around him, he was unaware of the lynch mob gathering to kill him. A woman watching the scene, however, warned him of the danger and he escaped. But the Troublefield case was far from over.
In many other cases across the nation, women were murdered for interfering with angry white mobs! Luckily, the sheriff only arrested the woman. And though Troublefield was later arrested as well, it wasn’t by the lynch mob – and he survived. This woman saved his life.
Black women have always protected our community with kindness and strength, often putting their bodies on the line. A young woman saw the opportunity to help save a Black man’s life, and that’s what she did. When it comes to helping and protecting one another, let’s keep this same kind of energy in our communities!