Top of the Morning column published in The Natchez
Democrat (Sunday, November 30, 2025, page 4A)
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Top of the Morning
New details reveal exact location of George Metcalfe’s 1965 car bombing in Natchez
By Roscoe Barnes III
Ever since I learned of George Metcalfe's attempted
assassination in 1965 at the Armstrong Tire & Rubber Company, I have wondered
about the location of his car. Where exactly was it parked when it was bombed?
It is often reported that it was “in” the parking lot of
the Armstrong plant. One source notes it was “parked on an adjacent
street” and another states it was “parked just outside the plant.”
Now, thanks to two eyewitnesses, I know where this
horrific incident occurred.
Metcalfe's car, a 1955 Chevrolet sedan, was parked in the
area that is now a triangle between Kelly Avenue, Brenham Avenue, and South
Concord Avenue, across from the Old South Winery. The site is on the west side
of the plant -- outside the company fence.
I learned of this location in October 2025 during an
interview with Frances Bailey and Paul Bacon, both of whom were teenagers in
1965.
As many of us know, Metcalfe was the president of the Natchez NAACP. He was targeted by the Klan because of his activism and the fact that he led a voter registration drive that added over 8,000 Black residents to the local rolls.
On August 27, 1965, he completed his shift at Armstrong
and walked to his car. He turned the ignition and a bomb, planted inside the
car by the Klan, exploded. Metcalfe survived with severe injuries.
Unfortunately, no one was ever charged with the crime.
Historians believe the bombing became a turning point in
the local Civil Rights Movement. It galvanized the Black community, prompting
them to rise up in protests. They organized rallies and boycotted white-owned
businesses. Their work led to one of the most successful civil rights campaigns
in Mississippi.
According to Bacon, Metcalfe’s car was parked outside the
company fence on South Concord, facing west. This location – and position of
the car – aligns with an old black-and-white photo of the mangled vehicle. In
the background of the photo, a house on South Concord sits atop a ridge above the car.
Bailey said the site at the time was not a triangle: it
was simply a grassy area where Metcalfe and others parked. She recalled that
she, her brother, and other teenagers were outside her home on Brenham when
they saw Metcalfe enter his car. After the explosion, they ran to the car and
saw a bloody sight that she will never forget. She said Metcalfe was conscious
and asking for help. Bacon, who was 17, was walking nearby when he heard the
explosion. He said he ran to the scene, and like Bailey, he saw Metcalfe asking
for help.
Now that we know more about the location of this tragedy,
we can mark this site and use it to pay tribute to the man who risked his life
in the struggle for civil rights.
I have two suggestions. First, we must preserve the
testimonies of the eyewitnesses by doing an oral history. Such a project can be
funded by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council or the America250
grant program. Second, we can acquire a historical marker through the
Mississippi Department of Archives and History or purchase one from a business
like the Natchez Monument Company.
Because there is currently no sign or marker near the
plant that tells the story of Metcalfe, now is an ideal time to implement these
suggestions or find other tangible ways to honor his legacy.
---------------
ROSCOE BARNES III, Ph.D., is the cultural heritage
tourism manager at Visit Natchez.
As many of us know, Metcalfe was the president of the Natchez NAACP. He was targeted by the Klan because of his activism and the fact that he led a voter registration drive that added over 8,000 Black residents to the local rolls.
