The Soil Ceremony
Sat, Nov 09
|Sarasota
Manasota Remembers held its Soil Ceremony to honor six persons—Henry Thomas, Sam Ellis, Wade Ellis, Mr. Ruddy, William English, and James Franklin—who were victims of racial terror lynching in the Manasota area between 1903 and 1934.
Time & Location
Nov 09, 2024, 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Sarasota, Sarasota, FL, USA
About the event
On November 9, 2024, the Sarasota and Manatee Community Remembrance Project held its Soil Ceremony to honor six persons—Henry Thomas, Sam Ellis, Wade Ellis, Mr. Ruddy, William English, and James Franklin—who were victims of racial terror lynching in the Manasota area between 1903 and 1934.
During this poignant community event, soil collected from the sites where these men were murdered was transferred into glass vessels by community members as a lasting tribute and symbol of remembrance. These jars served as powerful reminders of the injustices endured and the lives lost to racial violence in the region.
The ceremony was free and open to the public, with limited space requiring reservations. Funding for the program was provided in part by the John J. Clopine Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. The event reinforced the community’s commitment to acknowledging its painful history and fostering healing and justice.