Ida Bell Wells-Barnett commonly known as Ida B Wells was one of the nation 's most vocal anti-lynch activist of her time.(Steptoe) It all started when three of her African American friends were lynched after they opened up a store, the People’s Grocery, which competed well with a white owned grocery store nearby. A white mob attacked the People’s Grocery and three white men were injured, the owners of the store were then jailed when they were later broken out and lynched. This infuriated Wells and she wrote after the incident urging African Americans to leave Memphis, “There is, therefore, only one thing left to do; save our money and leave a town which will neither protect our lives and property, nor give us a fair trial in the courts, but takes us out and murders us in cold blood when accused by white persons.” This caused some 6,000 African-Americans to leave Memphis while others started boycotts on white businesses.(Wikipedia)
This incident caused Wells to begin her research into lynchings. She concluded that African Americans were lynched "for such social control reasons as failing to pay debts, not appearing to give way to whites, competing with whites economically, and being
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(Wikipedia) According to the Washington post, “Researchers said they determined that 3,959 black people were killed in “racial terror lynchings” in a dozen Southern states between 1877 and 1950.”(Bernman) According to the National Park Service Wells "By documenting lynchings across the country, she raised awareness and challenged alleged white "superiority."(National Park
By 1892, black populations experienced incredible lynch violence, which “offered a new tool for creating order and maintaining white supremacy.” Lynching was a ritual now—an outlet for whites who feared black political influence and black success. Over time, though, locals saw lynching as unsightly for their villages. To some, mob violence was even unlawful. This eventually led to a public condemnation of mob leaders.
It was the morning of August 4th, 1892 and the day was growing to be hot and humid. At 11 am Adelaide Churchill glanced out of her kitchen window and saw her neighbor, Lizzie Borden leaning on the screen of the Borden’s back door. Adelaide called out, concerned for her well-being, “Lizzie, what is the matter?” Lizzie called back to her with an upset expression, “Oh, Mrs. Churchill, please come over! Someone has killed Father!”
Ida B. Wells wrote this document as a result of the lynchings of Thomas Moss, Calvin McDowell, and Henry Stewart, and this case was significant to Miss Wells because she personally knew the victims. These colored men owned and operated a successful grocery store in an area that had a competing grocery store owned by a white man. Due to the economic tension between the two stores, a white band caused a stir and had over one hundred black men dragged into jail on suspicion. Moss, McDowell, and Stewart were charged of raping white women. Because of these accusations, these black men were lynched.
Long before the tragedy of the lynching of Jesse Washington occurred, Waco had a long history of violence. Native Americans and Anglo Settlers fought in the 1860s, South Waco was once known as the “Dead Line” because there were so many outlaws in the area and the area would be avoided if they had money because they would get robbed. From 1880-1930 almost 5,000 lynchings happened in the United States, and most of those people were black. About 500 of them happened in Texas. Waco, Texas was clearly no stranger to violence, but the lynching of Jesse Washington was one of the most horrific incidents to happen there.
Margot Edwards History and Laws of Lynching Lynching is a hideous act committed by white people to violently impose their power towards Black people. Innocent people were burned, beaten, hung, and tortured for the color of their skin. Such a disgusting act was committed among families and citizens who gladly marveled at the sight before them. People watched and attended what they thought was a "wholesome celebration" (Lartey & Morris 14). Between 1881 and 1968 there was a recorded 4,743 people murdered in a lynching (Lartey & Morris 9).
Greenwood was the most prosperous African American community, they had everything down town did, even a hospital (3.) However, over a 24 hour period a total of 300 people were dead, 35 five blocks of Greenwood burned, and thousands of blacks were homeless (1and3.) The violent actions of this time were all due to the allegation made against a black male causing him to be imprisoned (3.) Segregation is the leading cause of the
White supremascists Shawn Berry Lawrence Russell Brewer and John King started a major racial controversy by murdering James Byrd Jr. It came as a shock to people when, for the first time in history, the press bothered to notice the lynching of a black man in Texas, society was astonished that they cared with such passion and vigor. Many American citizens found this appalling considering the country’s indifference to racial violence. Had it not been for the lynching of James Byrd Jr., the Hate Crimes Prevention Act would not exist, therefore countless acts of brutality would take place because there would not be any rules or resistance impeding them from committing the crime.
The MLK unit showed me a lot about my interests and non interests. Although, the Emmett Till situation is what grabbed my attention. It was typical during the 1950 's for blacks to be killed, but what stood out the most is when his mother requested to have an open casket at his funeral. She wanted everyone to see what they had done to her 14-year old boy. Emmett 's case became representative of the disparity of justice for blacks in the South.
Wells also found that white were rarely lynched even though they committed a crime. She found out that lynching become an entertainment for people in the South. When an African-American were about to lynched, it was announced on the newspaper for people to come and watch, even children can go and cheer for it.
Terror groups rose up to assure white supremacy in the South. African Americans could never win, especially when the Ku Klux Klan always forced them into debt. Although government awareness was brought up when they interviewed Henry Blake in Document 5, nothing could be done to stop the terrorizing feelings of individuals who fail to see that people of color are human as much as someone white is. African Americans worked to get the rights they deserved so of course they would be proud of what they accomplished. Document 4 is an account of Lucy McMillan, an African American, who had her house burned down by the Ku Klux Klan for “bragging” about her land owning rights.
The 13th Amendment allowed the African Americans to be released from the institutionalized oppression of slavery, at the same time allowing them to achieve political and civil rights. It did not protect them from the violence that they will experience on a physical and physiological level, the newly freed African Americans that were victimized by different factors such as political regulations. Many African Americans attempted to exercise their newly acquired rights, but as a result, white southerners saw this as problematic and resorted to taking violent actions. Violence became one of the primary acts which caused the African American community’s rights to become void and it puts their black lives and black livelihood at stake.
Was It Right? Within the 1920’s there were approximately around 3,496 and counting reported lynchings all over the south, In Alabama there were 361, Arkansas 492, Florida 313, Georgia 590, Kentucky 168, Louisiana 549, Mississippi 60,North Carolina 123, South Carolina 185, Tennessee 233, Texas 338, and Virginia 84 lynchings (Lynching in America). These are just some of the numbers introduced during the 1920’s for the reported lynchings. Lynching was used for public appeal for the people to show justice on the blacks and to punish them so the whites could return to “white supremacy”.
Thesis From the mid 1910s to the early 1960s there were many riots that occured, because of racial tensions built up between the the whites and the blacks world wide. Coming from Will Brown being accused of rapping a young white girl, and to Eugene Williams having rocks thrown at him causing him to drown. Segregation at this time was unjustified due to racism still being heavily considered as the right thing to do. These riots caused the United States to be even more segregated, due to unequal rights and no laws being created at the time to help and protect African Americans. During these riots there were cases of police brutality and whites being able to do whatever they choose to do, because they felt as if it was a justified reason to stop the African Americans from rioting.
One major reason Ida B. Wells’ argument is so convincing is the way she isolated the problem at hand and stated it clearly. She made sure to bring the problem to light in its true form. Wells’ talks clearly of the true horror that lynching was in the south. Lynching was a horrible problem that was spreading throughout the south of the time. It was all too common and seemed to be an almost everyday occurrence where people were used to lynching taking place.
For instance, in 1955 a black boy was murdered for whistling at a white woman, which obviously sparked major civil unrest within the black community. Another well-known event occurred in 1957 when 9 school students, (following the U.S Supreme Court ruling that segregated schools were integrally unequal, 3 years before) under the direction of a member from the NAACP, attempted to integrate both the white and black schools by attending the Central High School at Little Rock, Arkansas which was a school for white people only. Continuing through this was the relentless presence of the ‘Klu Klux Klan’ white supremacist group which used violent methods to counter the push for civil rights. One of the major incidences which galvanised the Civil Rights Movement was the infamous bus boycott of 1955. This event started with a black woman named Rosa Parks who refused to give up her seat to a white man on a public bus.