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The counsel further said that there should have been more Black people on the jury since the county makeup was split evening among Blacks and Whites. Arkansas NAACP state president Dr. Jerry Jewell wrote to the Justice Department asking for a federal investigation of the shooting but they did nothing.

In January 1972, an all-white jury took eight minutes to issue a “not guilty” verdict against Ratliff. The following year, Russ’ widow brought a wrongful death civil suit against Star City seeking $1 million. The suit alleged that the state trooper and Draper did nothing to prevent the violent outcome that led to Russ’ death.

In October 1975, a trial that featured Draper and several officials was essentially thrown out. Ratliff and the other defendants were acquitted of all charges and despite the efforts of the NAACP to get the case heard in a higher court, it didn’t happen.

In 1979, the Russ family was awarded $288,000 in damages but Ratliff had left the state and it was never paid. Another suit against the state went nowhere. Still, Russ has not been forgotten. The Lincoln County NAACP branch is named after him.

Russ’ sister established the Carnell Russ Day Community Unity Festival in Star City, which just finished wrapping up this past weekend. The event was held to heal rifts between Blacks and whites in the region.

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Little Known Black History Fact: Carnell Russ  was originally published on blackamericaweb.com

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