New committee created to tackle recognition of Sherman Riots

SHERMAN, Texas (KXII) - The fight continues to get a historical marker recognizing the Sherman Riots of 1930.

This week the Grayson County Commissioners Court addressed the cause.

Tuesday, they announced the creation of a citizens committee.

Over 90 years ago, the Sherman Riots led to a black man being lynched along with the Grayson County Courthouse and Sherman’s black business district going up in flames.

“What we’re proposing is to form a citizens group to look into the historical marker to the location and how we can do it respectfully and historically accurate to depict the events of the 1930s that happened here in the city of Sherman,” said Sherman Mayor David Plyler.

Tuesday, the commissioner’s court announced a new citizens committee made up of the Grayson County NAACP, Ministerial Alliance, and other community leaders to tackle how the area can recognize these events.

Former Sherman ISD superintendent Al Hambrick will help lead that group as a co-chair.

“Hopefully, this is an opportunity to move forward with the step that was taken today, and of course, the outcome that we are looking for is a historical marker,” said Hambrick.

For weeks, another group, the Texas Historical Marker of the Sherman Riot committee, asked for a marker.

They said they were not invited to join the new organization.

“We’ve been coming up here every Tuesday for seven weeks now,” said Jan Fletcher, who’s on the Texas Historical Marker of the Sherman Riot Committee. “We will continue to show up every Tuesday because we are not being included, and I don’t know what we can do other than to perservere.”

But Hambrick said this new committee isn’t meant to compete.

“I’m hoping that this effort will actually support the current committees that’s been working on it, and I think it takes all of us working together,” said Hambrick.

Either way, both said they are pushing for recognition of what happened in 1930.

Plyler added that the new committee could expand if they decide to, meaning the Texas Historical Marker of the Sherman Riot Committee could join later on.

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