Friends and family members of legendary civil rights leader Willie Earl Vereen are mourning his May 25 death at age 70. (Unsplash/Patreek Gautam)
By Catherine Pugh
Special to the AFRO
Willie Earl Vereen, a member of the “Wilmington Ten” died on May 25, at the age of 70.
Vereen is noted for being a part of the The Wilmington Ten, a group of young civil rights leaders who became political prisoners after being convicted in the arson and firebombing of a grocery store in Wilmington, N.C.
The year was 1971. The members of the group, sentenced to decades in prison, served ten years before receiving a pardon and compensation for a wrongful conviction in December 2012.
The Wilmington Ten consisted of eight high school students, including Willie Earl Vereen, one White woman, Ann Shepard, an anti-poverty worker and Ben Chavis, who now serves as CEO and President of the National Newspaper Publishers Association.
“Willie Earl Vereen, at the age of 17, was one of the youngest members of the Wilmington Ten, yet he was a gifted and talented young freedom fighter for equal, quality education for Black public-school students. Vereen was an accomplished musician and drummer who dedicated his cultural genius to proclaim freedom, justice and equality for all,” said Chavis.
According to several news reports from 1971, armed White supremacy groups– including Ku Klux Klan members–patrolled the streets of Wilmington and participated in violence that resulted in the firebombings across the city. At least 20 buildings were destroyed.
Instead of being held responsible, The Wilmington Ten were tried in state court and received a combined sentence of 232 years. Willie Earl Vereen received a 29-year sentence. The longest sentence, of 35 years, was given to Ben Chavis.
“We were political prisoners together,” said Chavis. “May the spirit and legacy of Willie Earl Vereen live on for future generations.”
Memorial Services for Willie Earl Vereen were held in Wilmington, N.C. on Wednesday, May 29, at noon inside of the Temple of Truth Light and Life, located at 2166 Kent Street.
