Richard Barrett | |
|---|---|
 Barrett at the September 20, 2007Jena Six Rally,Jena, Louisiana | |
| Born | February 18, 1943 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | April 22, 2010 (aged 67) Jackson, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Stab wounds |
| Occupations | Lawyer, White Nationalist |
| Known for | Founded the Mississippi branch of theNationalist Movement |
Richard Barrett (February 18, 1943 – April 22, 2010) was an Americanwhite nationalist,lawyer and self-proclaimed leader in the nationalistSkinheadz movement. Barrett was a speaker and editor of theAll The Way monthly newsletter. He was general counsel of the white nationalist organisation,Nationalist Movement, which he founded in Mississippi.
Barrett was born inNew York City, and according to his biography, his family moved away to avoid the influx ofJewish andPuerto Rican immigrants. He graduated fromRutgers University, and fought in theVietnam War.[citation needed] He graduated fromMemphis State University Law School in 1974.
In 1968, Barrett served as executive director of theSouth Carolina branch of theAmerican Independent Party, on behalf ofGeorge C. Wallace's presidential bid. He organized and chaired Youth for Wallace and in 1969, he organized and chaired theNational Youth Alliance (which later transformed into theNational Alliance). In 1976, he was chairman of Democrats forReagan and in 1977, he served as judge-advocate of theVeterans of Foreign Wars.
In 1982, Barrett publishedThe Commission, amemoir advocating the resettlement of "those who were once citizens" to "Puerto Rico, Mexico, Israel, the Orient, and Africa." Contending that non-whites, especiallyblacks, were inferior: "TheNegro race... possess[es] no creativity of its own [and] pulls the vitality away from civilization." He advocated sterilization and abortions of the "unfit".[1]
In 1989, Barrett visitedEngland. He attended the Annual General Meeting of theNational Front political party where he signed "The New Atlantic Charter" pledging solidarity between the party and the Nationalist Movement.[2] There he linked up with Alan Harvey to supportapartheid inSouth Africa.[3] The following year, Barrett played host toNick Griffin.[4]
In 1992, Barrett argued the case ofForsyth County, Georgia v. The Nationalist Movement before theUnited States Supreme Court. In 2004, Barrett organized a booth at the Neshoba County Fair in Mississippi for the public to shake hands withEdgar Ray Killen and sign a petition of support. Killen, who did not appear at the aforementioned event, was later convicted of manslaughter for his role in the 1964Ku Klux Klan-ledmurders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner. In an interview, Barrett predicted that the nation would rally around Killen.[5] Barrett represented Tennessee activistJames L. Hart in 2006, when Hart was removed from the ballot by the GOP on the grounds of not being abona fide member of the party due to his promotion ofeugenics.[6] Barrett's efforts were not successful, and Hart was forced to run as awrite-in candidate.[7]
On Thursday April 22, 2010, a neighbor called911 at around 8:00 AM and reported seeing smoke coming from inside Barrett's home. Firefighters arrived and found Barrett's corpse near the back door of the house, which was unlocked. He had been beaten and stabbed to death by a 23-year-old black male, Vincent Justin McGee. After stealing a wallet and a gun from the victim, McGee set fire to the corpse and was apprehended within hours. At trial, McGee claimed that Barrett had dropped his pants and asked McGee to perform a sexual act on him,sending McGee into a panic.[8] An autopsy revealed that Barrett suffered multiple stab wounds to his neck area, blunt force trauma to the head, and fractured ribs.[9] He had been stabbed a total of 35 times.[10][full citation needed] McGee was on probation after having been released in February from theMississippi State Penitentiary (Parchman) inSunflower County. He had been serving a six-year sentence for assault and grand larceny and had been eligible for release in December 2010, but was released early due to overcrowding in the prison. He was staying at his mother's house three doors down from the Barrett residence at the time of the murder.
After being apprehended, McGee provided the police with information which led to the arrests of three more suspects. Michael Dent, Vicky Dent, and Albert Lewis were each charged with accessory after the fact and arson. McGee pleaded guilty to manslaughter, arson, and burglary on July 28, 2011. He was sentenced to 20 years on the manslaughter charge, 20 years on the arson charge, and 25 years on the burglary charge – 65 years in total.[11]
Jerry Mitchell, the famed investigative reporter noted for his coverage of Civil Rights-era murders and injustices that had long been disregarded, including the murder ofMedgar Evers, covered Barrett's political activities at length. Though an ardent opponent of Barrett's political positions, Mitchell called Barrett a "victim of hate" and noted, "No one deserves to be beaten and stabbed 35 times before being set on fire. No one deserves to die from the hands of hate, not even someone who has sown its seeds for a lifetime."[12]
Barrett's murder is the subject of the bookGod'll Cut You Down byJohn Safran.[13]
Alan Harvey of the Reformed National Party and Richard Barrett of The Nationalist Movement warned against compromise with the DeKlerk regime.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
