So many stories of people who met their end at the hands of
a mob have gone untold. By Parties Unknown is a
documentary film that explores one particular story of the violent lynching of
four Black men in Russellville, Kentucky in 1908 after they were singled out
for supporting their friend, Rufus Browder who shot and killed his foreman in
self-defense. This lynching occurred during a time when there existed a
heightened awareness of unchecked mob violence in the South and against the
backdrop of a black community that was committed to being treated as equals.
Seeking to understand the cultural and social context of the
time period, By Parties Unknown highlights the events
and the cultural climate surrounding the lynching through the perspective of
Michael Morrow, community scholar and Executive Director of the SEEK Museum
(Struggles for Emancipation and Equality in Kentucky), who has spent the better
part of his life researching and tracking down as many details of the case as
he can in order to chronicle and share the story for present and future
generations.
By Parties Unknown presents Michael's
story along with the story of Rufus Browder, John Jones, Virgil Jones, John
Boyer, and Joe Riley in hopes to achieve Michael's goal; to foster and nurture
open and honest conversations about mob violence and racism in communities
around the country.