Sonya Massey Was the Descendant of William Donnegan, Who Suffered a Similar Fate in 1908
Donnegan's death was a catalyst for the beginning of the NAACP.
Published July 25 2024, 3:56 p.m. ET
Content Warning: This article mentions police brutality, lynching, and racism.
In July 2024, police body cam footage awakened the masses to the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey. The video came several weeks after Massey died of injuries sustained from allegedly being shot three times in the head by former Sangamon County, IL. Deputy Sheriff Sean Grayson. Grayson and his partner responded to a 911 call Massey made after believing an intruder was in her home.
Massey, a 36-year-old mother of two, was originally from San Diego, Calif., but lived in Springfield, IL. at the time of her death. Nearly a century before Massey died in Springfield, a man named William Donnegan suffered a similar fate. A fate that helped change the course of Civil Rights forever.
Keep reading to learn about the death of William Donnegan.
What happened to William Donnegan?
In the 1800s, Donnegan gained notoriety through his connection to the Underground Railroad. After moving to Springfield in 1845, he worked as a shoe cobbler and as one of the conductors of the Underground Railroad, using his home as a station for freedom seekers who came to the city. According to the Historic Preservation Division, he helped "scores" of people become free through his efforts.
By 1908, Donnegan had ended his work with the Underground Railroad. On August 15, a race riot in Springfield by a white mob broke out, with Donnegan being a target due to him marrying a white woman, Sarah Ann Bowers, and for flourishing in Springfield. While Donnegan reportedly reached out to authorities for help the day before, the help never arrived.
The mob eventually broke into his home, slit his throat, and hanged him from a tree in a nearby schoolyard.
Springfield police and National Guard found Donnegan, hanging from a tree and rushed him to St. John's hospital. He succumbed to his injuries and died in the hospital at age 76. The riot and his lynching became catalysts for the creation of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and ultimately led to the fight for civil rights in the decades that followed.
Sonya Massey's family said she was a descendant of William Donnegan.
In July 2024, journalist Philip Lewis posted on X that Sonya Massey was Donnegan's descendant. The relatives died while living in the same city and in the same hospital after trusting the police officers in their community would protect them.
Like Donnegan, Massey reached out to Sangamon County police after believing a prowler was attempting to enter her home. When Grayson approached her door, she asked him "don't hurt me," to which he replied, "why would we hurt you? You called us." In the same video, Grayson allegedly shot Massey after she told him "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus" while holding a pot of boiling water. The same boiling water Grayson asked her to tend to so not to cause a fire.
Many social media users have discussed the irony of Massey and Donnegan's relationship. Activist Brittany Packnett Cunningham shared how the connection, unfortunately, reminds Black people in America that "This country robs us of legacy and replaces it with generational terror."
Massey's family is continuing to fight for her justice.
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