Friends & family remember Willie Earl Vereen, member of the Wilmington Ten

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Willie Earl Vereen, one of the Wilmington Ten, passed away on Saturday, May 25.

The Wilmington Ten were 10 activists who were imprisoned for almost 10 years after being falsely convicted of firebombing a store and shooting at firefighters in Wilmington in 1971, per The National Registry of Exonerations. A federal Court of Appeals reversed the convictions in 1980 after it was revealed the prosecution hid the fact that two key witnesses admitted to falsely accusing them.

Vereen’s fellow Wilmington Ten member, Dr. Benjamin Chavis Jr. spoke to WECT about his relationship with Vereen over the years.

“One thing I will always remember about Willie Earl Vereen, not only his commitment to civil rights, but he did it so enthusiastically,” Chavis said. “We not only bonded, we became brothers. We were political prisoners.”

Chavis reflected back on their convictions, explaining it as the stepping stones to justice and equality in Wilmington schools today.

“I think the school system in Wilmington, North Carolina has benefited as a result of the sacrifices and commitment of people like Willie Earl Vereen and other members of the Wilmington Ten,” he said.

He says Vereen’s commitment and the price he paid for it should be remembered forever.

“It’s one thing to be a witness to something, but Willie was more than a witness. He was an activist. Because of his activism, North Carolina, New Hanover County and Wilmington are better places,” Chavis said.

Besides Vereen and Chavis, the Ten also includes Wayne Moore, Ann Shepard, James McKoy, Marvin Patrick, Reginald Epps, Jerry Jacobs, Connie Tindall and William Wright.

Vereen died at 5:30 a.m. while in hospice care; he had been on dialysis for years and was diagnosed with liver cancer about two months earlier.

A memorial service will be held on Wednesday at noon at the Temple of Truth Light and Life at 2166 Kent St.