Tennessee Man Shares Chilling Jonestown Footage Before Massacre, Internet Reacts to Forgotten Racial Tragedy
TENNESSEE – A resurfaced video taken the day before the infamous Jonestown Massacre has reignited conversations about the racial realities behind one of America’s darkest tragedies. Shared online by a Tennessee man, the rare footage shows members of Jim Jones’ Peoples Temple in Guyana, just hours before more than 900 people lost their lives.
Rare Footage Surfaces From the Day Before Tragedy
The video, posted on TikTok by user @martinluthervandrossjr, captures Peoples Temple members clapping and singing together on stage the night before the massacre. At first glance, the scene looks like a celebration. But in hindsight, it reflects the eerie calm before tragedy struck.
@martinluthervandrossjr This video is from November 17 1978 the day before the mass execution of 909 people. They rehearsed this party the day before US congress and NBC news came over to check on them after multiple complaints about the cult. #truecrime #peoplestemple #jimjones #jonestown #truecrimestory
The footage was reportedly filmed on November 17, 1978, just one day before 909 men, women, and children were forced or coerced into consuming cyanide-laced drinks under the orders of Reverend Jim Jones.
Victims Were Largely Black Members of the Congregation
While the Jonestown Massacre is remembered as one of history’s largest murder-suicides, many people remain unaware of who the victims were. Roughly 75 percent of the Peoples Temple congregation were African American, with nearly half of those who died being Black women.
Commenters reacting to the video noted that this racial aspect of the tragedy is often overlooked. One viewer wrote, “Most of the murdered people were Black. Jim Jones was quite intentional about who he captured with his rhetoric.”
Others pointed out that members were stripped of their rights and kept under control. Passports were confiscated, food was restricted, and Jones convinced followers the U.S. government wanted to kill or imprison them if they returned.
Survivors Say Many Wanted to Leave
Another online comment stressed the lack of choice many faced in Jonestown: “They were murdered. So many of them wanted to leave. Even still, some didn’t want to die so they were injected with the poison. Awful, awful stuff.”
This reinforces what historians and survivor accounts have long revealed—that many did not go willingly, but were trapped by lies, isolation, and fear.
A History of Racial Targeting in America’s Crimes
For many, the resurfaced footage also connects Jonestown to broader patterns of violence against people of color in America. In the 1980s and 1990s, serial killers like Jeffrey Dahmer and Chester Turner specifically targeted Black and minority victims, leaving communities devastated.
As one commenter recalled from their family’s warnings: “My grandmother said nothing good would have come about following a white man in the ’70s, even if he claimed to promote unity.”
Remembering the Victims
The resurfaced Tennessee footage has reopened old wounds, but also serves as a reminder of those lost. Beyond the tragedy itself, the racial exploitation within Jonestown underscores the urgent need to acknowledge the overlooked stories of its victims.
Do you think enough has been done to fully tell the story of Jonestown’s Black victims? Share your thoughts with us at SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com.
