Paris, Texas

===Race relations===
[[File:Henry-smith-2-1-1893-paris-tx-2.jpg|thumb|215x215px|Lynching of Henry Smith, Paris Fairgrounds, 1893]]
Race relations in Paris were described by ''Newsweek'' as "turbulent" and sometimes "explosive".<ref name=Kovach>{{cite web |url=http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2009/07/27/the-turbulent-racial-history-of-paris-texas/ |title=The turbulent racial history of Paris, Texas |author1=Gretel C. Kovach |author2=Ariel Campo–Flores |date=July 27, 2009 |work=Newsweek, via Anderson Cooper 360° |publisher=CNN |access-date=May 1, 2015 |archive-date=October 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002050841/http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2009/07/27/the-turbulent-racial-history-of-paris-texas/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the late-19th and early-20th centuries, several [[Lynching in the United States|lynchings]] of African-Americans were staged at the Paris Fairgrounds.<ref name="Witt">{{cite web |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0703120170mar12-story.html#page=1 |title=To some in Paris, sinister past is back |author=Howard Witt |date=March 12, 2007 |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=May 1, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Witt2" /> A black teenager, [[Henry Smith (lynching victim)|Henry Smith]], lynched in 1893, was the first in US history captured in photographs.<ref name="Minutaglio">{{cite book |last=Minutaglio |first=Bill |author-link= |date=2021 |title=A Single Star and Bloody Knuckles: A History of Politics and Race in Texas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lYcHEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA48 |location= |publisher=University of Texas Press |pages=48–51 |isbn=9781477310366}}</ref> Other lynchings included [[Lynching of Irving and Herman Arthur|Irving and Herman Arthur]] in 1920.<ref>{{cite news |ref={{SfnRef|''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'', January 14,|1922}}|date= January 14, 1922|title= Man Acquitted of Murder|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/634458137|newspaper=[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]] |issn=0889-0013|oclc=60616134 |access-date= July 23, 2020 |url-access=subscription |page=7}}{{cite news |ref={{SfnRef|''New Britain Herald'', July 7, 1920, front page}}|date= July 7, 1920|title= Texas Mob Burns Negroes At Stake|url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014519/1920-07-07/ed-1/seq-1/#|newspaper=New Britain Herald|publisher=Herald Pub. Co.|location=[[New Britain, Connecticut]] |issn=2643-4954|oclc=8783515|pages=1–12|access-date= July 7, 2020 |via=[[Chronicling America]] }}{{cite news |ref={{SfnRef|''Bisbee Daily Review'', July 7,|1920}}|date= July 7, 1920|title= Mob of Texans Burns Negroes|url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024827/1920-07-07/ed-1/seq-1/#|newspaper=[[Sierra Vista Herald|Bisbee Daily Review]]|publisher=W.B. Kelly|location= [[Bisbee, Arizona]] |issn=2157-3255|oclc=11363144|pages=1–8|access-date= July 7, 2020 |via=[[Chronicling America]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |ref={{SfnRef|''New York Age'', September 4, 1920, front page}}|date=September 4, 1920|title= Officer of the Law Assaults Innocent Girls|url=https://fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%2011/New%20York%20NY%20Age/New%20York%20NY%20Age%201919-1921%20%20Grayscale/New%20York%20NY%20Age%201919-1921%20%20Grayscale%20-%200703.pdf|newspaper= [[New York Age]]|location= [[Manhattan|New York City]] |oclc=9274417 |access-date= July 15, 2020 }}</ref>

[[File:1cherryandblackwell.jpg|thumb|Local resident and activist [[Brenda Cherry]] speaking at the rally for Brandon McClelland, 2009]]

In 2008, an African-American man, [[Death of Brandon McClelland|Brandon McClelland]], was run over and dragged to death by two white men, who were not prosecuted due to lack of evidence. A rally over the death in 2009 had groups shouting "white power" and "black power".<ref name="Carlton">{{cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/21/riot-police-storm-texas-t_n_242372.html |title=Riot Police Storm Texas Town After Black, White Protesters Clash Over Dragging Death |author=Jeff Carlton |date=August 21, 2009 |work=Huffington Post |access-date=May 3, 2015}}</ref>

Other incidents included sentencing disparities between black and white juveniles, racist flags and graffiti, school discipline disparities,<ref name="Witt3">{{cite web |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-paris_webfeb25-story.html |title=Racism bedevils Texas town |author=Howard Witt |date=February 25, 2009 |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Witt4">{{cite web |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0703310265mar31-story.html |title=Girl in prison for shove gets released early |author=Howard Witt |date=March 31, 2007 |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref> and racist labor practices.<ref name="Cancino">{{cite web |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/ct-eeoc-sarah-lee-0211-biz-20150210-story.html |title=Sara Lee discriminated against black employees, attorneys say |author=Alejandra Cancino |date=February 10, 2015 |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=May 3, 2015}}</ref><ref name="NBC5">{{cite web |url=http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Workers-Targets-of-Racist-Behavior-at-Sara-Lee-Plant-EEOC-291445561.html |title=Workers Targets of Racist Behavior at Sara Lee Plant: EEOC |date=February 10, 2015 |publisher=NBC Channel 5 Dallas–Fort Worth |access-date=May 3, 2015}}</ref>