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Morehouse College Honors Lynched Student Dennis Hubert With Posthumous Degree, 95 Years Later

In a deeply moving moment nearly a century in the making, Morehouse College has posthumously awarded a degree to Dennis Hubert—an 18-year-old Black student who was lynched in Atlanta in 1930 while pursuing his studies at the college’s School of Religion.

The honorary Bachelor of Arts in religion was presented during the college’s graduation ceremony on May 18, 2025, marking an emotional chapter of acknowledgment, justice, and remembrance. Hubert’s nephew, Imam Plemon El-Amin, now 75 years old, accepted the degree on his uncle’s behalf—an act that echoed not just through the campus but across the long, painful timeline of America’s racial history.

“A Martyr of Justice”

Morehouse President David Thomas described Hubert as a “son of Morehouse, a martyr of justice, and what history now sees as the Trayvon Martin of the 1930s.” His words painted Hubert not just as a victim of racial violence, but as a symbol of the Black promise violently snatched away far too often during the Jim Crow era.

“Though not here with us physically or in body,” El-Amin reflected, “his life, his will, and his spirit are providing inspiration for those of us left behind.” In accepting the degree, El-Amin brought to life an uncle he never met, but whose story has shaped his family for generations.

The Day That Changed Everything

On June 15, 1930, Dennis Hubert spent part of his day visiting his mother and grandmother. He later walked to the Crogman School playground, a space reserved for Black children in segregated Atlanta. It was there, within just 15 minutes, that a group of seven white men accused him of insulting a white woman—a claim Hubert denied.

Witnesses would later recall his desperate plea:

“What do you want of me? I have done nothing.”

Their response was brutal and swift. Without police involvement or trial, one of the men pulled out a gun and shot Hubert point-blank in the head in front of at least two dozen onlookers. It was a public execution—without reason, justice, or remorse.

A Family and a Community Terrorized

Unlike most cases of racial terror at the time, the prominence of the Hubert family sparked an initial outcry. The seven white men were arrested—a rarity in itself. But what followed was a campaign of terror meant to silence the family and their supporters.

Two days after the arrests, Dennis Hubert’s father—an influential pastor—had his home set ablaze. A local Baptist church that had begun collecting donations to support prosecution efforts was attacked with tear gas. And soon after, another relative, Rev. Charles R. Hubert, narrowly escaped an assassination attempt.

Even the chapel on the Spelman College campus, Morehouse’s sister school, wasn’t spared. Night riders shattered its windows and destroyed its lamps in a chilling message that justice would not come easily.

Justice Denied

Despite multiple eyewitnesses and a confession, true justice never arrived. The men responsible were convicted of lesser charges. One man, who admitted to firing the fatal shot, received just two years behind bars. Another got 12 to 15 yearsfor voluntary manslaughter. The rest walked free.

In the decades since, Dennis Hubert’s murder has lived largely in shadows—until now.

Honoring the Legacy

The posthumous degree is far more than a symbolic gesture. For the Hubert family, and for many Black Americans, it represents long overdue recognition. Recognition of a life stolen too soon. Recognition of potential unfulfilled. And recognition of the pain that families like the Huberts carried through generations.

In speaking to CNN, El-Amin reflected on an Islamic belief—that only three things remain after we pass: the good we do, the knowledge we share, and the prayers of loved ones.

“Many prayers were said in his name,” he said, “and many people remembered him and were informed about his life and legacy… [he] sacrificed his life so that we would be more conscious of the value of young life, and the value of justice.”

In a world where stories like Dennis Hubert’s are too often erased or overlooked, Morehouse College has chosen to inscribe his name into the legacy of the institution—and, more importantly, into the hearts of all who heard his story.

Now, 95 years later, Dennis Hubert is remembered not just for how he died, but for what he stood for: hope, dignity, and a future that refused to be buried.

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