Mary Wilson: Black Women and Self Defense in the Jim Crow Era

(Pamphlet)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

This zine is about Mary Wilson, a 37-year-old Black woman who confessed to the murder of a white military officer at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, in 1913. While many of the details of this case are still unknown, Mary Wilsons story sheds light on the ways Black women were and continue to be forced to navigate systems of state violence that were/are deeply and historically interwoven with the legacy of slavery and the rise of the prison industrial complex in the post-emancipation United States. Time and again, when Black women have defended themselves against interpersonal violence, they have been subjected to more violence at the hands of the state, and for many, at the hands of vigilanties. Mary Wilsons case is indicative of these patterns of violence but is also unique because she was not found guilty. Instead, Mary was eventually allowed to go free based on a claim of self-defense. This story provides a fascinating glimpse into an individual life story that many people can identify with in the present day, as well as a broader historical view of race, gender, sexuality, and the state.

Author Bio

Jen Ash is an organizer, educator, and historian specializing in Black womens history and the history of social movements. She currently serves as the executive director of the Chicago Torture Justice Memorials Foundation.