Felton Turner

Who was Felton Turner?

Felton Turner was an African-American whose survival from a vicious attack on March 7, 1960, helped galvanize the city of Houston, Texas during the American Civil Rights movement.

Turner was an 27-year-old unemployed awning installer in Houston who fell victim to the enmity caused by continuing sit-in demonstrations against segregation. Those protests, coming just over a month after the first such actions in Greensboro, North Carolina, had begun on March 4 at the local Weingarten's store by students from Texas Southern University. Turner, who was not involved in the student's actions, was walking just a block from his home when he was abducted at gunpoint and transported to a deserted area five blocks away.

During the ride, Turner was continually hit with a chain for approximately 30 minutes. The most chilling part of the ordeal came next as he watched the men carve two sets of "KKK" into his stomach, then hang him by his knees to a nearby tree.

Following the departure of his captors, Turner was able to free himself, quickly calling police. On March 15, 18-year-old Ronald Gene Erickson was arrested for the crime following a routine traffic stop.