Southern Rites Page #3

Was he coming to tell me he was sorry?

No, he was coming to hurt me some more.

He fired another shot,

and as they got the door open,

Shavon said that Justin said,

"I've been shot."

(gunshots)

Julius:
And he started to run.

And I got out the door,

my brother, he was behind me,

and the man just kept firing at us.

(gun shots)

-

- Dedee:
Justin fell,

and he told Shavon that

he wasn't gonna make it.

And Shavon, at that point,

didn't want to leave

him there because he...

he just didn't want to leave him.

He wanted to take him,

but as he was trying to get Justin up,

Justin was dying right there in his arms.

And Justin just told him to run,

he's gonna come after you.

The boy ran off and left

his brother, they said.

I guess he did.

Did he call the ambulance?

Did he call the police? No.

I called them.

You know who he called?

His mama,

because he knew he was in

trouble, he wanted Mama then.

You understand what I'm

saying? He wanted Mama now.

He's in trouble, "I need Mama."

But he didn't need Mama when he was

parked over there sneaking in my house.

Julius:
He was indicted on felony murder,

malice murder,

voluntary manslaughter,

two counts of kidnapping

and two counts of aggravated assault.

Dedee:
Since Justin's murder,

Norman Neesmith has been

walking around, just free.

I believe if there was

a black man shooting

a white young kid,

the black man would be... be locked up.

-

- If it was a black man that killed

a white boy,

he would not see daylight.

In fact, he may not even

live to get to a trial.

Neesmith:
I get on that

motorcycle right now and I leave.

In five minutes, my mind just eases off.

It's just like I'm in another world,

freedom, just...

that wind hit you, you just feel free.

You feel like you ain't

got a worry in the world,

that's just what it feels like,

and that's why I ride.

Inez McRae:
That is one

thing that was instilled

-

- into me as a child,

and that is that the system

considers the life of a white person

more valuable than that of a black person.

Someone spray painted

"No n*gger for sheriff"

on one of the signs in Ailey.

- Laub:
You weren't surprised?

- No, we weren't surprised at all.

We was actually expecting that.

We didn't think nobody was

going to spray paint a sign,

but we knew something of

that sort was going to happen.

I'm surprised it was

the only one we've seen.

It didn't really bother us at all.

I think my daddy's white friends

was more upset than we were.

I find it kind of funny,

'cause they misspelled "n*gger,"

so hilarious.

(laughs)

Calvin:
I worked 24 years

with the Montgomery

County Sheriff's Office.

I was born here, I was raised

here, I graduated from here.

I got children graduating from here,

plan to be a granddaddy.

I got two children in college.

Best place in the world to raise a child.

It ain't the point about

being the first black sheriff.

It's the point about making

this community better,

and I know I can.

I've been doing this a long time.

The sheriff now, me

and him get along great.

I just think I can do a better job.

I know I can do a better job.

Keyke:
My daddy's the very

first black chief of police

in Montgomery County.

And if he gets sheriff, I mean, like,

just like the chief, it

will be really historic.

Like, it's never happened before.

I think he's got a good

shot at actually winning.

I'm not scared or anything.

The only thing I'm scared of

is somebody having something negative

to say and I have to bite my tongue.

Like, that's just the

only thing that gets me,

'cause I don't like to

bite my tongue at all.

It feels kind of good

to ride and see signs in people's yards,

especially the big

houses, because you know,

the big houses are white people houses,

so it's kind of reassuring.

I don't have any doubts.

I know I may talk like I have doubts.

I don't have doubts, it's just real scary,

because I have to live with that man.

If he don't get sheriff...

He's going to get it, though.

Hey, my name is Keyke Burns,

and my daddy's Calvin Burns

and he's running for sheriff.

I know, that's who I'm voting for.

Okay, cool, so can we put a sign,

like, in front of your door or something?

Yes, right here.

All right.

Keyke:
You know my dad's

running for sheriff

- and you vote July 31st?

- Man:
Yeah.

- Are you going to vote for him?

- I'm voting for Calvin

because he's got more experience

than anybody else running

and he's the current

sheriff's chosen successor.

But not only that, I've seen

the way he's dealt with people

on both sides of the law. He

treats everybody with respect.

- Hey, how you doing?

- Woman:
Pretty good, how about you?

- I'm fine.

- What y'all doing?

Putting up my daddy's

signs. Didn't you get one?

Yeah, baby. I've been putting

out signs for your daddy.

- Okay, well, good.

- Woman:
You know it.

Keyke:
I didn't see one

out here, so I put one out.

There's a man named Thomas

Craft and Danny Taylor,

Ladson O'Connor, and Byron Braddy.

I think Byron Braddy's going

to be his biggest competition

because of his last name.

You know, his daddy is the judge

and has a lot of money.

-

- I've lived in Mount Vernon all my life,

- and most of my family are from here.

-

It's a small town, but the

people that are your friends,

they care about you

and they look after you.

You might, like, go to the store

and see someone that you know

that's like a family friend

and they'll just check on

you. "How are you doing?

What have you been up to and stuff?"

And it is a big name and they...

I wouldn't say run the town, but they,

I don't know...

they have a lot of influence over,

like, what happens and,

like, decisions and stuff

that are made in the town.

Keyke:
I mean, everybody know their place.

Whether that sounds bad or not,

everybody know their place.

But I feel like I get treated differently

or respected more because

of who my daddy is.

He really don't take too much from nobody.

Laub:
And why do you think he

is really reluctant to

talk to me or he didn't...

he doesn't really want

me around that much?

He don't want you around

because, really, no one likes you.

I'm not going to say, "No one likes you."

But a lot of whites don't

like you because of what you do

and all the things that you brought out.

He feels like if people see you at

his house or see him talking to you,

then they... that he's

a part of you trying to...

he's a part of you trying

to bring the racism out

and they're not going to vote for him.

And, see, he has to live here.

Laub:
Once you become

sheriff, you won't talk to me?

- Oh, yeah, I'll talk to you.

- On camera?

Depending on what we're talking about.

- What?

- Depends on what we're talking about.

I'm gonna let it shine

I'm gonna let it shine

Let it shine

Let it shine...

Pastor Cleo Conaway: I was

born here in Montgomery County.

I've been here all of my

life, which has been 55 years.

And this was a town where

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