Alonzo Tucker:
A New Chapter
On June 19, 2021, a community gathered to pay witness to the lynching of Alonzo Tucker at the unveiling of his historical marker. The historical marker was more than just a retelling of history. It was also the making of history as over 600 people, double that who were at the 1902 lynching, gathered in-person and virtually to add this new chapter to Alonzo Tucker’s story.
At the Ceremony
At the Alonzo Tucker historical marker unveiling ceremony, ORP publicly launched its campaign to end the death penalty in the name of Alonzo Tucker and historical repair.
Coos Bay’s three-year investment in reconciling the lynching of Alonzo Tucker readied them to embrace this next phase of contemporary racial justice action.
Many of those who participated in the historical marker unveiling added their names to a word cloud—representing the collective who paid witness to Alonzo Tucker’s story.
The Growth of Juneteenth
The Alonzo Tucker historical marker unveiling was a part of Coos Bay’s first ever Juneteenth ceremony. The next year, June 2022, Coos Bay’s Juneteenth ceremony grew into a three-day event.
Witnessing the growth of Juneteenth in Coos Bay inspired ORP to help grow this holiday in other communities across Oregon. Check out our other work honoring this holiday as not just a day of celebration but of action.
Legacy is created by the stories we tell.
Discover More
Read our articles to learn about Alonzo Tucker.
