Noose at Smurfit taken as Threat

Brewton NAACP president calls for investigation, terminations

The president of the Brewton chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has asked for a local and federal investigation after a rope containing a noose was found hanging inside the Smurfit-Stone mill in Brewton.

Anthony McKenzie, NAACP, held a press conference Tuesday morning saying he had contacted the Brewton Police Departement and the FBI after he received information about the noose, which ws discovered about 4:45 a.m. Sunday inside the mill.

McKenzie said he felt the hanging of the noose was racially motivated and said the history of the noose is “to control and intimidate black people.”

McKenzie also said his organization is seeking the removal of key administrators, including plant manager Gary Miller and union officials at the mill who have ignored discrimination and intimidation issues for years.

Miller had no comment on the issue, but several Smurfit employees said the rope in question had been hanging in the same spot since at least February, when it was used to hoist pipe during a maintenance operation.

McKenzie said he received a telephone call aout 5 a.m. Sunday about the noose and went to the plant.

Smurfit employee Willie Rabb said the rope with the noose was found near the basement heading to the bleach plant and said someone had to have used a ladder to hang it.  He also said the noose was hanging ‘head high’.

“I looked right dead at the noose,” Rabb said.

Charles Thornton, who also attended the press conference, said he retired from Smurfit due to health reasons associated with stress and harassment at the plant.

Thornton said he was not only speaking for employees, but disabled veterans, saying employees are discriminated against, harassed and face retaliation if they complain.

Thornton described his situation as being on long-term vacancy from the mill due to health reasons.

McKenzie said if the issue are not addressed on the management level, there could be serious problems at the Brewton mill saying Brewton could become national news if an employee was to enter the mill with a gun and start shooting. 

“It’s time now to put a stop to it,” McKenzie said.

Rabbie and Thornton said discrimination claims have been filed against the mill in the past.

“Supervisors have gotten to the point they ignore the problems,” Thornton said.

Speaking on behalf of Barbara Roothold, who attended the press conference in the parking lot of Craver’s Funeral Home, McKenzie said she has been treated different because she is black and female.

McKenzie also said Andalusia Attorney Thomas Alorton has been retained by several employees concerning the noose incident.

There was no evidence as to who or why a noose was tied into the end of the rope.