Sandra Lee Neely Smith, a 28-year-old African American woman, was tragically killed on November 3, 1979, in Greensboro, North Carolina. She was an active Marxist organizer and a former student at Bennett College, where she had served as the Student Government Association president. Sandra was one of five people killed during the Greensboro Massacre, a violent confrontation between members of the Ku Klux Klan and the American Nazi Party and participants of an anti-Klan rally organized by the
Communist Workers Party .
The rally, known as the "Death to the Klan" march, took place at the Morningside Homes public housing project. The police, who had been warned of the potential for trouble, were suspiciously absent at the time of the attack. Fourteen men with Ku Klux Klan or American Nazi connections were jailed without bond, with twelve charged with murder and two with conspiracy to commit a riot. Despite the charges, all defendants were acquitted in the subsequent trials.
The Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission was formed in 2004 to investigate the incident. The commission's final report concluded that both sides had engaged in inflammatory rhetoric, but that the Klan and ANP members had intended to inflict injury on protesters, and the police department was complicit with the Klan by allowing anticipated violence to take place.
Sandra Lee Neely Smith's death remains a poignant reminder of the dangers faced by those who stand up against hate and injustice. Her legacy continues to inspire efforts towards social justice and equality.
