8 october 1968 & elijah bennett murdered by white police officer near 14th & u nw
#OTD 8 October 1968 Elijah Bennett, 22 years old, was murdered by white police officer, David Roberts, as he walked near the intersection of 14th & U Sts, NW. Individuals and organizations mourned his death and protested against police terror in the city. Bennett was married to Janice Bennett and they had four children, including Jacqueline and Kevin. Mrs. Bennett was also pregnant at the time. She gave birth to their fifth child, Erica Bennett, a few months later.
Students at Howard University and the New School of Afro-American Thought held protests. The Black United Front gave Mrs. Bennett $325 and encouraged others to also give her donations.
Your comments are welcome below. Do you, a family member or neighbor remember hearing about Elijah Bennett’s murder? Did you know Elijah Bennett and his family? Did you give money to his spouse? Did you submit one of the many letters to the editor to a newspaper? Do you have photographs of Bennett and his family? You may comment privately here.
Photo source: DC Public Library, newspaper database. Photographer unknown. c1968.
James Forman, Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America 2017.
”Funds for Widow,” Washington Post 20 October 1968.
I edited this post on 14 June 2020 after Erica Bennett requested that I say her name, her mother’s name and the names of her siblings. Prior to her contacting me, I had not included their names.
