At the heart of Mississippi’s Delta region, the discovery of a young Black student hanging from a tree on the grounds of Delta State University has sparked a wave of grief, suspicion and reflection on long-buried racial trauma. The 21-year-old, identified as Demartravion “Trey” Reed, died on September 15; local authorities ruled the incident a suicide. Yet his family remains unconvinced, and for many in the community, the image of a Black man found hanging in a tree echoes a legacy of terror and injustice that refuses to fade.
Shadows of the Past in the Present
Reed’s hanging came in a state where tree lynchings were once tragically commonplace. Between 1882 and 1968, Mississippi recorded more than 580 documented lynchings—more than any other state. The use of trees as the site of such crimes was intended to terrorize Black communities and reinforce racial hierarchies. Today, space under a tree on a college campus still evokes that history for many.
Since 2000, at least nine Black men in Mississippi have been discovered hanging from trees, each time ending in a ruling of suicide. Whether coincidental or otherwise, this pattern has deepened communal unease—even when investigators do not link the deaths to racial motive.
Questions and Calls for Transparency
Although the university‐affiliated law enforcement and the county coroner found no evidence of foul play, Reed’s family requested a separate autopsy, funded by an outside foundation, and the results have yet to be released publicly. At a campus rally on October 18, advocates including the New Black Panther Party asserted that his body showed signs inconsistent with self-harm, calling for a “full, transparent investigation.” Meanwhile, instructors cite how trauma rooted in generations of violence and fear circulates silently among students, staff and families in communities across the Delta.
Community Response and Emotional Aftershocks
For many Black students and residents of the region, the site of a tree—especially on university grounds—serves as more than a backdrop; it’s a symbol. That symbolism, critics say, heightens anxiety rather than offering closure. The missing details around the investigation, investigations turned over to federal authorities, and the gap between official findings and lived experience have amplified the tension. One community advocate noted: “If this was part of our lives when we were slaves… we are not going to hang ourselves.”
As Reed’s family awaits definitive answers, the campus and town find themselves at the crossroads of grief and historical reckoning.
