BLACK HISTORY SPOTLIGHT: LENA BAKER
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Lena Baker (1901-1945) was a maid and the only woman ever put to death in Georgia’s electric chair.
Baker was born to a poor family of sharecroppers, and as a child, she and her family chopped cotton for a farmer named J.A. Cox. At the age of 20, she and a friend decided to make money by entertaining gentlemen. Their clientele were white, and since interracial relationships were illegal at that time, this sparked attention from the Randolph County sheriff. While prostitution was illegal, the authorities would have likely ignored it had Baker’s clients been exclusively black. She and her friend were arrested and spent several months in a workhouse. Upon release, Baker was ostracized by the community, which lead her to become an alcoholic.
In 1941, Baker was hired by Ernest Knight to care for him after he had broken his leg. In Cuthbert, Georgia, Knight was considered brutal and abusive. He always had a pistol strapped to his chest and was a failed farmer who ran a gristmill. A relationship developed between them, and Knight would provide Baker with alcohol in return for sex. The whole town was talking about it, and Knight’s oldest son, E.C. persuaded him to move to Tallahassee, Florida, in an attempt to separate the pair, but Baker came with him. The son then gave Baker an ultimatum to leave:
“She was going in and out there and drinking and some of the neighbors complained about it,” he testified. “I went to Lena and said, ‘Lena, this has got to stop. I don’t want to hurt you, don’t want to have any trouble with you and you stay away from my Daddy. Don’t come back to this house never no more’.”
“Two days later, I drove by, and she was there. I took her and beat her until I just did leave life in her,” he said.
Baker left, but Knight followed her back to Cuthbert.
On the night of April 30, 1944, Baker told J.A. Cox, who was now the town coroner, that she had shot Knight. Cox told Baker to go to the sheriff, while he would go to the gristmill where Baker said Knight’s body was. She, instead, went home, and was picked up by the sheriff later that night. Although she was cooperative, he gave her two days to sleep off the effects of the alcohol in her system.
Baker then told her version of the events: Knight had come to her house drunk and asked her to come to the mill. She didn’t want to, but knew better than to refuse the drunk man. She tried to stall by asking for money to buy whiskey. He gave her money, and she went to the tavern, but it was closed. She waited there hoping Knight would leave her home. She returned and found him still there. She was forced to accompany him to the mill, but escaped and hid in some bushes. She bought some whiskey and went to sleep at a nearby convict camp.
The next morning, she decided to go to the mill. She thought this was the last place Knight would go. However, he was there and held her prisoner for several hours, even through hours of his absence. He returned and told Baker that he would kill her before she would ever leave again. A struggle began, but Baker managed to get Knight’s pistol, which went off, hitting him in the head and instantly killing him.
Knight was not liked in town, but because a white man had been killed by a black woman, this could not be tolerated by the segregationist town. Baker was charged with capital murder and went on trial August 14, 1944. The all-white male jury convicted her by the end of the afternoon, and her court-appointed counsel filed an appeal but then dropped Baker as a client.
Upon entering the execution chamber at the Georgia State Prison in Reidsyille, Lena Baker, who had a sixth-grade education and was only 44, stated publicly her innocence to the very end: “What I done, I did in self-defense. I have nothing against anyone. I am ready to meet my God.”
The undertaker who brought her body back to Cuthbert buried her in a grave that went unmarked for five decades, until the congregation of Mount Vernon Baptist Church, where Baker sang in the choir, raised $250 for a concrete slab and marker.
On May 5, 2005, Baker was pardoned posthumously for Knight’s murder following her family’s lobbying to have a pardon granted. The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles ruled a “grievous error” occurred when Baker was denied clemency in 1945 and decided mercy was in order in such a case.
A biographical film, starring Tichina Arnold, chronicling the life of Lena Baker has been made, titled The Lena Baker Story.
Writer, director and producer Ralph Wilcox said, “The film is a cradle-to-grave story that offers a real perspective on Lena as opposed to just one incident. Race does play a part, but this story is really about a woman torn between a rock and a hard place.”
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Concrete Loop features ‘Black History Spotlights’ each week honoring black people who have played pivotal roles in history. submissions are welcome.
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50 Comments
1.
MLOVE
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
Interesting…..
2.
msmuffin_24
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
sad………;(
3.
js
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
SEEMS LIKE I READ ABOUT THIS IN SCHOOL….
4.
Lola
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
I am so glad I was not born in that time. The issues they had to deal with are ridiculous and it makes me sad. SMDH
5.
Liya
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
I’m looking forward to watching this movie…good post and a damn shame about what happened, and atleast justice was finally served, some may say too little to late but i say better late than never.
Good job CL!!
6.
Genuine Lady
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
Gotta check that movie out….thanks for the Lesson!
7.
Kim
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
Very good info….unfortunate story however
8.
jjj
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
I would def go to see this movie…
9.
Tasha
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
I’m glad you did a spotlight on her but she is just one of the many who were railroaded by the justice system in the south at that time. Well at anytime including today.
10.
******Dame(Oh Luda Luda what I am going to do with you)
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
*****I will be watching the movie
11.
kaykay
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
okay i saw the clip for this film on here a couple of days ago but ignored it. after reading this woman’s story, this film seems much more interesting. what an interesting and sad life. i’m glad tichina has such a juicy roll to play. good post.
12.
kaykay
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
and public defenders up and quitting on clients? so racist and illegal…
13.
furture child
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
…….lookn 4ward 2 da movie
14.
61
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
Im getting that movie. Im so happy that you be having these black history moments on here.
15.
Focused1
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
The story is interesting, but it’s pissing me off at the same time knowing about the injustice that happened to her. I’m looking forward to seeing how the film will turn out.
16.
bklyn-bella
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
Thats why I say black women had it bad too during those times. And still today black women go through their own struggles. As many other stories about historical black women I never knew about Lena Baker and I think there should be more spotlights on black women in history because I’m sure there are some stories we haven’t heard of that we couldn’t imagine.
17.
mzc2u
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
Very interesting story, I will be watching this movie, I think part of Lena’s sentence was due to the reputation she had in this small town, and of course the racism that was so prevalent in those days, she was certainly trapped in a bad situation.
18.
irrational rationalist
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
interesting…must see
19.
Khinje
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
I am so anxious to see this movie!! I know Tichina will make us proud.
Does anyone know if it will be hitting theaters or be straight to DVD?
20.
politicallyincorrect
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
interesting, and I have never seen Tichina Arnold in a dramatic role, I am sure she has the chops
21.
Aries
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
Great Post!!!! Very interesting!
CL why havent you posted the trailer for the black princess disney movie?
22.
Jhae Lamarre
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
wow…how much more history do I not know, and probably would never know if it werent for CL??? dang…
23.
Bahamian Beauty
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
I REALY APPRECIATE THESE HIGHLIGHTS EVEN THOUGH IM NOT AN AMERICAN BUT A BAHAMIAN N THIS REALLY HELP S ME 2 UNDERSTAND BLACK HISTORY MORE IN AMERICA N U GUYS STRUGGLE….THAT APOLOGY 2 BLACK PPL IS VERY MUCH NEEDED
24.
JAVA
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
wow I just love concrete loop more and more everyday. I learn something new and it feels good to be informed
25.
1nubianqueen
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
Great job CL…Will be watching this….
26.
LB
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
Thank you again, CL.
I hope that you continue to educate your readers on black American history—it’s highly necessary.
27.
MELA
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
wow very interesting. i looking forward to the movie.
28.
Lola AM
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
Wow…I am going to check the movie out. I love these posts, btw
29.
bria
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
I love these black history post. But I have to admit that sometimes they make me so angry and sad. I look at all they went through with humility and the suffering and then I look at our race as a whole now and it just saddens me. I look our young men who too many of them would rather hang out on a corner than get educated. Some of our young women think that they are just good for having babies or showing their body too anyone that wants too look. It just makes me sad. It is really true if you don’t know your past you are doomed to repeat it. I pray for my race the chosen ones everyday.
30.
tsagrednerp
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
How the hell didn’t Concreteloop win the best blog award at the BET awards?? This is a very compelling story and I absolutely love this feature. Gotta Love Concreteloop.
31.
Emma V's Great-Grandaughter
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
Good post and the movie should be good.
32.
JUDAH
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
—–I’m noticing a trend in these posts of constantly bringing out events that seem to
—–stress the negative, “subservient”, or “slave” aspects of our history. It’s a
—–reflection of how black people look at themselves that we think that knowledge of
—–our history is always predicated off of “slavery” or suffering”. I’m not saying that
—–stories like this shouldn’t be commemorated, because they should, but if that’s
—–the case, we could literally create 200 million stories of how our people were
—–mistreated and killed in this country and abroad for no reason at all.
33.
Toriano
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
I am ancticipating this movie since the synopsis specifically mentions that the director stated race is not the sole subject of the story, but more so a woman between a rock and a hard place. Tichina Arnold is a talented actress, not to mention a dead ringer for Lena Baker.
34.
Simone
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
Its crazy to hear that this happened in 1944 because that wasnt too long ao, ma mom was born in 1964 and that was just twenty years prior.. Im livin life thinkin that this WHOLLE racisim ish is close 2 bein over wen we’r still livin in it … of course not as seriously as back then but of course racism still exists..
crazy..sad..disapponting…
35.
YEAH, I SAID IT!
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
You know, considering the appalling legacy of this country concerning black people, its a wonder we haven’t completely revolted and brought this country to its knees. That’s part of the reason why many ( not all) white people don’t want to REALLY have a honest conversation about race. Honest conversation would require that they acknowledge this incideous history and they just don’t seem to be willing to do that.
36.
shay
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
I never really heard of her, there is alot of things that we are not taught in school
37.
J. Dakar
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
#32: The whole point of the Black History Spotlight feature is to honor black people who have played pivotal roles in history. Not every story is going to have a happy ending (or beginning, for that matter), but each serves a purpose.
Submissions are always welcome.
38.
TMI4me
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
That was a deep story about this women and what happen to her OMG.
@4 you and me both. I listen to what my grandma had to go through and it make you appreciate what you have now, but racism is still prevalent in our country and especially in the South, but the real question is if this happen today what do you think will happen to that women (make you go hmmm) but trust she won’t get the death penalty for it just a lot of jail time just for defending herself WOW.
I am totally going to watch Ms. Tichina Arnold do her thang.
39.
SAY WHAT:O
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
WOW what a crazy life story. Racisim back then was crazy, i couldn’t ever imagin how it was to be African-american and living in such mayhem because of skin.
im totally lookin forward to this bio coming out. (and what a nice match of Tichina getting the part!!)
40.
Chloway- fell out wiv mary-jane, i dont speak 2 lois lane...
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
wowww, thats very interesting but sad.
41.
KOKO
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
Interesting.. I can’t wait to see it. I’ve never heard of her before..
42.
Barbie
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
i can g0 h0me and tell m0mmy i learned s0mething today!!! thanks CL
43.
tee tee
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
Very interesting story…. and how sad… I think this will be a great role for Tichina! I want to see her in a more serious sense…..
I find it disturbing, however, that there are only 40 or so comments… while there are over 100 for the latest celeb gossip….
sad
44.
aquarius0124
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
one of the only blogs that features current events and black history. you go ConcreteLoop!
45.
VIOLA1
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
I to enjoy these Black History Spotlights I know a lot about my history, but there are so many story that i, and many others have never heard and i really appreciate how you guys give us the fashion, trends, the candid pics, the latest gossip, but also the real lift stuff like politics and history lessons, good job, keep up the good work
46.
Have Not Thought of a New User Name
Thursday, July 31, 2008 /
I heard about her a long time ago.
47.
Kellz
Friday, August 1, 2008 /
I heard of her but didn’t know the whole story (my gramps talks about random black ppl from time to time when I was younger). Very interesting but sad story….
48.
Get'em
Friday, August 1, 2008 /
>>Will love to see that. Its good to see Tichina in a movie i’m a huge fan.
49.
ddaii
Monday, August 4, 2008 /
waouww i didnt hear of this story it was very interesting !!!!!!!!
50.
Jellee
Sunday, August 31, 2008 /
You learn something everyday! Great Info CL!