On Sept. 15, a 21-year-old Black man, Demartravion “Trey” Reed, was found hanging from a tree at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. Reed’s death was immediately questioned by the public, and considering the disturbingly racist history in Mississippi, the public questioning wasn’t uncalled for.
Despite speculation of foul play, an autopsy revealed Reed was found to have no lacerations, bruises or broken bones that would be consistent with foul play. His cause of death was found to be “hanging and the manner of death a suicide,” according to The New York Times.
Young Black men are dying at an alarming rate. Most of these deaths are homicides or suicides. Homicide deaths among Black men are 20 times higher than those of white men. Another study found that Black people are at a 59% higher risk of premature death, due to lack of access to healthcare, employment, income and food insecurity.
Reed’s death, while not ruled as foul play, is a tragic reminder of Mississippi’s haunting past. The state had the highest number of lynchings from the year 1882 to 1968, with a total number of around 581.
Hundreds of innocent Black men were lynched. One of the most notorious lynchings in Mississippi was that of 14-year-old Emmett Till. Till’s murder was nothing less than horrific. His body was completely brutalized. The young boy was killed for allegedly flirting with a white woman. The two men who kidnapped and murdered Till were both acquitted by an all white jury. Till’s death became a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement.
Delta University, where Reed’s body was found, is only about 50 miles from the Tallahatchie River, where Till’s body was found. The wounds of the past began to bleed again with the death of Reed, and people began to question the intentions behind it.
Reed’s family decided to search for answers on their own. The family has begun working with Benjamin L. Crump, the same attorney who represented George Floyd’s family. The lawyer has stated that he is working to get transparency and answers for the family. Along with Crump, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., has also spoken out for Reed. He cited Mississippi’s history of lynchings and has called for a federal investigation into Reed’s death. Also, Colin Kaepernick, a Civil Rights activist and former NFL player, has stated that he will fund an independent autopsy for Reed.
On the other hand, some people believe that Reed’s death shouldn’t be questioned. The Governor of Mississippi, Tate Reeves, posted a statement on X where he said, “I know a lot of speculation from people who have no facts or evidence has dominated online conversations and even some national mainstream media outlets in the immediate aftermath of this tragedy. That is also sad. It represents a sad state of affairs in today’s social media driven world…but it doesn’t represent today’s Mississippi!”
The statement Reeves made is absurd, considering the state is tainted with the blood of hundreds of Black men. The media and the family of Trey Reed have every right to question the integrity of Reed’s manner of death.
According to Reeves, the outrage over Reed’s death may not “represent today’s Mississippi,” but it certainly does represent Mississippi in 2020 when a man burned a cross in his front yard to intimidate his Black neighbors, Mississippi in 2023, when six former police officers were convicted for beating and torturing two Black men and Mississippi in 2024, when the Justice Department found the Lexington police violated civil rights and specifically discriminated against Black people. These are only some of the recent hate crimes in Mississippi, not considering all of the crimes and discrimination that remain unreported.
Reed’s death deserves attention and should be questioned. Mississippi will carry the consequences of its history forever, but more importantly, Black people will suffer the consequences indefinitely. For this, it is important to remember and to take history into account when analyzing cases such as Reed’s.
Amelia Henson is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Amelia Henson about their column? Email them at ah300723@ohio.edu.
