The Ruben Stacy Story
Part III
By Mary Ross Milligan
Sadly, according to many of the notable published accounts on the death of Rubin Stacy in 1935, he is said to be the first and only Black man lynched in Broward County, Florida. These faulty historical accounts also ignore much of the life and family background of Rubin by depicting him as a homeless vagrant, aimlessly wondering around Davie Boulevard in the city.
My research into the background of Rubin not only reveals that he was one of many tragic stories in Broward County, but that there was a great loss in taking the life of a hardworking resident of Fort Lauderdale with an endearing family history.
In this article I am mentioning three women who had an impact on Rubin’s life and who were greatly grieved by both his murder and the lack of justice thereafter. They are Annie Gilley Stacy, his mother, Williemae Stratford Stacy, his wife, and a mystery woman that I will write more about in an upcoming book.
For now, I will focus on the mother of Rubin Stacy, Annie Gilley Stacy, who has since departed from God’s habitat with bitterness and anger regarding the memories of her son hanging from a pine tree in Fort Lauderdale Broward County, Florida, according to his family.
Annie Gilley Stacy, Rubin’s mulatto mother, lived and died in pain because her son was taken away from her by the hateful behavior of evildoers, according to family members accounts. Rubin’s mother did not want to come face to face with the evildoers who couldn’t give her son back. They could not have given her any chance of justice after her child was brutally silenced. Her son’s voice was never to be heard by The Department of Justice.
In the family’s opinion, Rubin’s mother never had the option of knowing what really happened to her son because of the heinous acts and the shoddy follow-up investigations.
Today Rubin is talked about around the world and has become a national icon. I am writing these articles about Rubin Stacy with sadness. As I interact with the family, I realize more and more that what happened to Rubin is a re-recurring senseless act by the enemy who governs and manipulates the people in our lives every day. In conclusion three magnificent mothers left with Bleeding Hearts from acts of these devil’s advocates.
With Rubin Stacy these unjust and unnecessary acts of evil left behind three mothers. As I mentioned earlier, one being his mulatto mother Annie Gilley Stacy, the second is his wife and mother of his son Williemae Stratford Stacy, and, yes, the mystery woman to be revealed in my book.
© 2021 Mary Ross Milligan
