J. B. Stoner
Encyclopedia
Jesse Benjamin "J.B." Stoner (April 13, 1924 – April 23, 2005) was an American segregationist
who was convicted in 1980 of the bombing in 1958 of the Bethel Baptist Church
in Birmingham, Alabama
.J. B. Stoner, an unapologetic racist whose conviction for bombing a church, divisive political campaigns and vituperations about Jews and blacks made him a benchmark for racial extremism in the United States, died on Saturday at a nursing home in La Fayette, Ga. He was 81. The cause was complications of pneumonia, Judith Ragon, wife of Mr. Stoner's second cousin, Ronald Ragon, told The Associated Press. |newspaper=New York Times |date=April 29, 2005 |accessdate=2010-12-31 }}
He was a founder and long-time chairman of the National States' Rights Party
and publisher of its newsletter, The Thunderbolt. Stoner unsuccessfully attempted to run as a Democrat
for several political offices in order to promote his white supremacist
agenda.
, and in nearby Chattanooga. His father Jesse Benjamin Stoner Sr. died when he was five; his mother Minnie died when he was seventeen. Stoner admired segregationist
politician Theodore G. Bilbo
. Stoner became active in white supremacist groups and traveled to Washington, D.C.
to support Bilbo.
Stoner rechartered a chapter of the Ku Klux Klan
in Chattanooga. Stoner once said that "being a Jew [should] be a crime punishable by death". He ran the National States' Rights Party, which attracted such fringe political figures as A. Roswell Thompson, a perennial Democratic candidate for governor
of Louisiana
and mayor
of New Orleans.
Stoner earned a law degree, and served as the attorney
for James Earl Ray
. The FBI also investigated Stoner in the assassination
of Martin Luther King, Jr.
and for several bombings of black churches, such as the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing
.
Stoner ran for governor of Georgia in 1970. During this campaign, where he called himself the "candidate of love", he described Hitler as "too moderate," black people as an extension of the ape
family, and Jews
as "vipers of hell." The primary was won by civil rights
supporter and future President
Jimmy Carter
. Stoner then ran for the United States Senate
in 1972, finishing fifth in the Democratic Party
primary with just over 40,000 votes. The nomination and election went to Sam Nunn
.
During his Senate campaign
, the FCC
ruled that television stations had to play his ads due to the fairness doctrine
. His ads included the word "nigger." Stoner also ran for lieutenant governor
in 1974 and the United States Senate
in 1980. His best showing was 73,000 votes (10 percent) in his campaign for lieutenant governor in 1974, when he sought to succeed Lester G. Maddox in Georgia's second highest constitutional office. Maddox lost the gubernatorial nomination that year to former legislator George D. Busbee.
In his 1974 lieutenant governor campaign, Stoner placed signs on the Macon Transit Company buses, which Mayor Thompson ordered removed. Stoner promptly went to federal court to secure the return of his paid signs under his First Amendment
protection. He even, tongue-in-cheek, urged Georgia blacks to support his nemesis Thompson for governor. Stoner polled more votes for lieutenant governor than were cast for all four candidates in the Republican gubernatorial primary, which Thompson had only barely won.
In 1978, Stoner ran in the Democratic gubernatorial primary and polled 37,654 votes (5.4 percent).
After his conviction for the church bombing in 1980, Stoner appeal
ed for three years, and when his appeals ran out, he was a fugitive
for four months. In 1984, he was permanently removed from the roster of lawyers who may appear before the United States Supreme Court. After his release from prison
in 1986. Stoner ran for lieutenant governor in 1990.
, still defending his segregationist views but acknowledging that his side had lost. His left side was partially paralyzed from a stroke
. Stoner is buried at Forrest Hills Cemetery
in Chattanooga.
Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
who was convicted in 1980 of the bombing in 1958 of the Bethel Baptist Church
Bethel Baptist Church (Birmingham, Alabama)
Bethel Baptist Church in Collegeville, a neighborhood in Birmingham, Alabama, served as headquarters from 1956 to 1961 for the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights , which was led by Fred Shuttlesworth and active in the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement...
in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
.J. B. Stoner, an unapologetic racist whose conviction for bombing a church, divisive political campaigns and vituperations about Jews and blacks made him a benchmark for racial extremism in the United States, died on Saturday at a nursing home in La Fayette, Ga. He was 81. The cause was complications of pneumonia, Judith Ragon, wife of Mr. Stoner's second cousin, Ronald Ragon, told The Associated Press. |newspaper=New York Times |date=April 29, 2005 |accessdate=2010-12-31 }}
He was a founder and long-time chairman of the National States' Rights Party
National States' Rights Party
National States' Rights Party was a far right, white supremacist party that briefly played a minor role in the politics of the United States.-Foundation:...
and publisher of its newsletter, The Thunderbolt. Stoner unsuccessfully attempted to run as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
for several political offices in order to promote his white supremacist
White supremacy
White supremacy is the belief, and promotion of the belief, that white people are superior to people of other racial backgrounds. The term is sometimes used specifically to describe a political ideology that advocates the social and political dominance by whites.White supremacy, as with racial...
agenda.
Early life
Stoner came from a family which ran a sight-seeing company in Lookout Mountain, GeorgiaLookout Mountain, Georgia
Lookout Mountain is a city in Walker County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,617 at the 2000 census. The city is located on Lookout Mountain, home to such attractions as Rock City and Ruby Falls. The city is also home to Covenant College...
, and in nearby Chattanooga. His father Jesse Benjamin Stoner Sr. died when he was five; his mother Minnie died when he was seventeen. Stoner admired segregationist
Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
politician Theodore G. Bilbo
Theodore G. Bilbo
Theodore Gilmore Bilbo was an American politician. Bilbo, a Democrat, twice served as governor of Mississippi and later was elected a U.S. Senator . A master of filibuster and scathing rhetoric, a rough-and-tumble fighter in debate, he made his name a synonym for white supremacy...
. Stoner became active in white supremacist groups and traveled to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to support Bilbo.
Education and career
At age two, Stoner contracted childhood polio, which impaired a leg, causing a lifelong limp.Stoner rechartered a chapter of the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
in Chattanooga. Stoner once said that "being a Jew [should] be a crime punishable by death". He ran the National States' Rights Party, which attracted such fringe political figures as A. Roswell Thompson, a perennial Democratic candidate for governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
and mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of New Orleans.
Stoner earned a law degree, and served as the attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
for James Earl Ray
James Earl Ray
James Earl Ray was an American criminal convicted of the assassination of civil rights and anti-war activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr....
. The FBI also investigated Stoner in the assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
and for several bombings of black churches, such as the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing
16th Street Baptist Church bombing
The 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama was bombed on Sunday, September 15, 1963. The explosion at the African-American church, which killed four girls, marked a turning point in the U.S...
.
Stoner ran for governor of Georgia in 1970. During this campaign, where he called himself the "candidate of love", he described Hitler as "too moderate," black people as an extension of the ape
Ape
Apes are Old World anthropoid mammals, more specifically a clade of tailless catarrhine primates, belonging to the biological superfamily Hominoidea. The apes are native to Africa and South-east Asia, although in relatively recent times humans have spread all over the world...
family, and Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
as "vipers of hell." The primary was won by civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
supporter and future President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
. Stoner then ran for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in 1972, finishing fifth in the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
primary with just over 40,000 votes. The nomination and election went to Sam Nunn
Sam Nunn
Samuel Augustus Nunn, Jr. is an American lawyer and politician. Currently the co-chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nuclear Threat Initiative , a charitable organization working to reduce the global threats from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, Nunn served for 24 years as a...
.
During his Senate campaign
Political campaign
A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, wherein representatives are chosen or referendums are decided...
, the FCC
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
ruled that television stations had to play his ads due to the fairness doctrine
Fairness Doctrine
The Fairness Doctrine was a policy of the United States Federal Communications Commission , introduced in 1949, that required the holders of broadcast licenses to both present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was, in the Commission's view, honest, equitable...
. His ads included the word "nigger." Stoner also ran for lieutenant governor
Lieutenant Governor of Georgia
The Lieutenant Governor of Georgia is a constitutional officer of the state, elected to a 4-year term by popular vote. Unlike some states, the lieutenant governor is elected on a separate ticket from the state Governor....
in 1974 and the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in 1980. His best showing was 73,000 votes (10 percent) in his campaign for lieutenant governor in 1974, when he sought to succeed Lester G. Maddox in Georgia's second highest constitutional office. Maddox lost the gubernatorial nomination that year to former legislator George D. Busbee.
In his 1974 lieutenant governor campaign, Stoner placed signs on the Macon Transit Company buses, which Mayor Thompson ordered removed. Stoner promptly went to federal court to secure the return of his paid signs under his First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
protection. He even, tongue-in-cheek, urged Georgia blacks to support his nemesis Thompson for governor. Stoner polled more votes for lieutenant governor than were cast for all four candidates in the Republican gubernatorial primary, which Thompson had only barely won.
In 1978, Stoner ran in the Democratic gubernatorial primary and polled 37,654 votes (5.4 percent).
After his conviction for the church bombing in 1980, Stoner appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
ed for three years, and when his appeals ran out, he was a fugitive
Fugitive
A fugitive is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from private slavery, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals...
for four months. In 1984, he was permanently removed from the roster of lawyers who may appear before the United States Supreme Court. After his release from prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
in 1986. Stoner ran for lieutenant governor in 1990.
Death
Until his death at eighty-one, Stoner lived in northwest Georgia at a nursing homeNursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
, still defending his segregationist views but acknowledging that his side had lost. His left side was partially paralyzed from a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
. Stoner is buried at Forrest Hills Cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
in Chattanooga.
Letters
Ephemeral materials, 198—by J B Stoner; Crusade Against Corruption. Wilcox Collection of Contemporary Political Movements, University of Kansas.Audiovisual recordings
- Stoner, J.B. & Erwin Saul. Interview with Sarah Kessler. J.B. Stoner and Erwin Saul comment on recent violence by the National States' Rights Party and similar organizations. Date unknown. .