Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, sits on top of where a 1913 lynching took place. The area where the stadium now stands was once a thriving African-American community called the Brooklyn community. On the same site where the Panthers play professional football, the Good Samaritan Hospital served black Americans during that time.
On August 26, 1913, Joe McNeely was accused of shooting a white Charlotte policeman, who survived. McNeely, aged 22, was also wounded and taken to the hospital, chained to a bed, while two officers stood guard outside the room. In the early morning hours, around 1:00 a.m., a group of 30 to 35 men stormed the hospital.
The mob grabbed McNeely, dragged him out in front of the hospital, and shot him multiple times before disappearing into the dead of night.
The group of men stood trial for the murder. A judge called the mob “murderers” and asked the all-white grand jury: “What are you going to do?” The jury adjourned three days later, indicating no one.
No one was ever charged in the death of Joe McNeely. Today, the Bank of America stadium stands, where McNeely was lynched almost 112 years ago.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.