There is little room to debate against the idea that the horrific crime against humanity known as lynching was a fixture in this nation for nearly four centuries after the first stolen Africans arrived in a British mainland colony. In many ways, lynching was a primal expression of Power in this nation. We must also remember that Blacks were not the only victims of this nation’s lynch culture.
What you will find below are two relatively short videos (approximately 10 minutes each) that discuss American lynch culture.
Please view the videos and leave a comment that describes how you feel inside after being exposed to this information.
Much like my peers, it was very hard for me to watch the entire videos. The upper hand, or privilege that white people had and still continue to use is mind blowing. They not only believed themselves to be superior but they treated blacks as less than. There entire goal from the beginning is to suppress our minds and thoughts into things they believed to be right. Whether it be laws, clothing, where they could eat, etc. As far as lynching goes, it is sickening to know that they treated people this way simply because of a color. To put someone through such an immense amount of pain, without any remorse is scary, they were heartless. So many African Americans suffered tremendously at the hands of hateful racists.
After watching the two videos it shows me that white people still feel the need to degenerate black people from their success. It hurts to still see black people are still suffering.
Honestly, I couldn’t even really sit through and watch these horrifying videos. The sight of these videos, looking at what my people went through is unbearable. I can’t stand the thought of it! White people really had it made back then and still do which is so unfair! Black people will forever be a target! White people are really animals, they really gathered around and lynched innocent black people just for the heck of it! I’ll never understand..
I knew about lynching, but these videos have expanded my knowledge about the reality of it. It’s upsetting that whites seen no wrong in lynching and normalized it. Whites used lynching to scare blacks and show that they were superior. It worked, because the blacks were fearful, and convinced that they had to live by what the whites said. Whites were, and still are privileged and got away with anything during that time. Ida B. Wells did an amazing thing by bringing light to the truth about lynching.
Watching these two videos made me realize how devastating lynching is. Black people were not save because it was normal to lynch, and the white community did nothing to the individuals causing this crime. They knew they could get away with it, and eventually, it became overlooked. It is sickening to know that my ancestors and my people had to go through this. Ida B. Wells put light on the false accusations and extreme hatred from the lynching and how it affected the African American population drastically.
I 100% agree with you. knowing that our ancestors went through such a crisis like this really hits deep. It’s very hard to watch things like this without feeling hatred towards white people!
After watching these two videos, I am shook and just really disappointed. You can tell whites had some kind of fear of black people in a way to have this much hatred just because. Its hard to take in all the justifications that white people made about lynching the African Americans. I felt that the white women that feared being raped by a black man was really stupid. Why should blacks be punished because of white women fear, when they didn’t want anything to do with them. I respect and honor Ida B. Wells for all the things she has done for the black community. She is still very much relevant today as she was back then, because of her ways of showing people that were blind what is really going on.
From watching the first video provided towards the very end it was mentioned that black people bodies would be cut up and unrecognizable to where they were used as souvenirs. That fact literally disgusted me and it sad and dreadful to watch things like that knowing that my people were experiencing torture day after day. There’s always a way for white people to try and one up and have control over blacks as if they don’t exist from us.
These videos horrified me, to think that white people are so afraid of someone, mainly Black people, being superior to them that they feel they have to unlawfully and wrongfully kill Black people to “suppress” them makes me very angry and I truly despise the thought that Black people suffered so much because of the color of their skin. I wholeheartedly respect Ida B. Wells for all the things she has done for the Black community and bringing things to light that people were blind of seeing. She is still very much relevant today as she was back then.
After watching these two videos, I’m disgusted and sad. Black people have been treated wrong and less than for many centuries. Lynching is horrible and I can not even fathom watching someone get killed so cruelly. I feel like whites used lynching as a way to scare blacks because they knows blacks are often physically stronger. Learning about Ida B Wells was interesting too. Growing up in Memphis I’ve always heard her name, but never really knew what she was famous for.
I 100% agree with you! Watching this makes my blood boil extremely because how could people be so cruel? Its like they have no hearts! I also think that white people are intimated by our kind, that’s why they hated us so much.. Cause they wish they were us!
It only makes sense that lynching was a tactic whites who felt superior used to bring order to black people in America. With this they were able to put that fear in black people which would then make them feel as if they have to behave a certain way or in accordance to how whites wanted to in order to avoid lynching. Kind of like how a parent threatens to whoop their kids if they do something bad.
after watching these 2 videos i understand how white people played their cards and made it into a thing that white people do to keep black folk suppressed. whites knew they would be able to get away with it cause they were already superior to blacks.
After watching both videos it is hard to grasp to justifications that white people made about Lynching African Americans. How white women feared being rapped by a Black men when they did not Want anything to do with white women. Also being able to learn more about how brave and courageous Ida B. Wells really was with her own newspaper column about the lynchings and foul play going on.
I agree, the lynching of African Americans are so inhumane and sickening and the fact that this is still happening is upsetting.
Till this day there will always be something that the white people will do or say or portray to keep the black people fearful, down, and hopeless. Just like Ida Wells knew, lynching wasn’t just a punishment due to rape allegations, but was a strategy to keep the black people fearful, and keep them suppressed. It is extremely sad that hundreds of years later, we are still in the same boat. The foundation of this country is corrupt, and is destructive to the black society.
The thing about these videos that get me about lynching is the fact that it’s not coming from everyday civilians it’s the law enforcement whose suppose to protect you. Yet they are displaying the bodies of your family members for everyone to see. In the video of the drug store being raided in my opinion they got lynched because they where trying to protect their business. And they tried doing it right the first time by asking authority to protect them which didn’t happen
The fact that lynching was normalized, is absolutely disheartening and disgusting for me to even comprehend. Superiority within white people was clearly evident as they felt they had complete control over the say so of a black Individuals life. Black people continuously lived in fear, and to this day still do as we share the commonality of police brutality, unlawful and unjustifiable abuse and killings by our own police itself. The fact that alike in our modern day society, white people then STILL were not held accountable for their actions. Disgusting.
Watching videos where lynching African Americans was normalized and accepted makes me sick. Many whites praised the idea of an African American hanging and being brutally abused while whites stood and watched like it was entertainment. It makes me even more angry that blacks received this treatment only because our skin was a different color. It was a disgusting act created by whites to show they have superiority and power and it will forever be wrong.
This is beyond horrific to me that whites not once didn’t see that lynching was wrong in their eyes. Whites could literally get away with anything without anything being done to them believing that they were the superior race and would do anything to put black folks in the ground and using lynching as a threat to have one up on someone. Blacks lived in fear and worry constantly watching over their backs. They felt like they had to walk on eggshells, watching every word they said and their acts, if one wrong word could be said or an unwanted action could take place and their lives would be in danger.
The video makes me absolutely upset because you wanna lynch my ancestors on the freaking color of their skin get out of here! And they acted like it was something so fun and cool to do then you lynch somebody because of how well and successful they friend was is absolutely crazy to me! I don’t think i coulda survived back in the day i have so much to say and i don’t take bullying they are afraid of us for no reason just because the color of our skin !
I never really understood the meaning of lynching or exactly what it was of course I heard about it in my years of life but watching this video was very informative.
It’s baffling to think that nobody realized how inhuman and cruel lynching was. Like they literally normalized hanging black people from trees and would gather around like it was a great movie that they were watching.
Watching both of the videos put a hole in my stomach. The first video when they came to the “conclusion” that black people were just less than white, for what? Nor true explanation on how but started to picture black people as animals was just wrong. Than the video about Ida B. Wells and how she got into being an activist because one of her closest friends was lynched because of his successful business. In the video they called her a feminist before feminism became a famous thing. At a point lynching blacks became targets of wrongful/false claims. The whole idea that all black men wanted to attack the “innocent” white women was major and most case was consensual sex between two people.Ms.Ida used the same evidence or facts to prove that. While whites tried consistently to write a different story. Over all it just sad and it broke my heart.
This is so crazy to me that whites didn’t see anything wrong with lynching. Whites could get away with anything thinking they’re the superior race and would do anything to put it into black folks head that they were better and using lynching as a threat to have one up on someone. Them not being held accountable angers me, anyone who participated in this and is alive now should be locked up.
I agree. I feel as if for some reason whites were for some reason threatened by black and want to establish some sense of control. Which lead to them downgraded blacks and lynching blacks as a sign of them (whites) being superior.
I agree with many comments. I never understood why white people felt black people were a threat and that lynching was a way of punishing black people. They didnt want african americans to have no freedom and wanted them to suffer. It was really disturbing to watch and to think lynching was a real thing and was used against african americans. White people all gathered around while lynching a african american thinking it was ok to do like it was just normal!
It is so crazy and disheartening to think lynching was so normalized then. I feel this is how they felt they could get away with cruel acts and make themselves feel superior to others. Also seeing how many innocent African Americans were falsely accused of committing crimes they did not do is completely wrong.
Wow just wow they were really jealous of African Americans for being us like they would lynch them for simple stuff like the man who own the store was competition to the white man so they got rid of them…they wanna be us so bad that they killed African Americans…. they also would cut off pieces of there bodies and keep them as family heirlooms….that’s vert disturbing all this stuff they did to us… is why I can not forgive them what they put my people through
Yes, jealousy is a word for it too and u can see how some whites try to even be like blacks now.
Its disturbing that African Americans did not get treated like citizens also being informed that lynching was sometimes used for traditions. Also the the mindset that whites fell as though blacks were inferior to them. Its just insane that they did not want black to have any freedom and how hard they fought for lynching to become legal. They started accusing blacks folks for raping white women to have a reason to lynch them and this help justify lynching.
I think that racism is best exemplified by the barbarism in lynching. I cannot imagine being a child and watching a man be beaten to death; tortured. It was a form of propaganda. The children that witnessed lynchings as a community spectacle.
watching these videos really made my heart heavy. I just never understood the fact that people think they are superior than. other people just based off their race. the myth made me very upset about how black men would be lynched if they rape a white women. because the majority of white women lied about being rape anyway and with out proof they would still take the women word for it and lynched the black man just because a white woman screamed raped. pathetic.
This video most definitely is an eye opener because we known lynching was something the whites did to slaves when they had to be executed. Lynching also i feel gave white people more power over black people. Lynching was use to put fear into the slaves and it worked. Blacks would be lynched for even being accused of something even without no proof or evidence
This video opened my mindset to a lot I did not know much about this topic but The video informed us on a lot. Lynching was punishment for the black community . Blacks were lynched even tho they were falsely accused while Whites felt superior .
It hurts my heart to know that not too long ago, lynching was apart of every day life. as they say in the first video that it started because white woman were falsely accusing black men is kinda the same thing today as woman falsely accuse athletes of rape. Lynching was and still is today one of the most gruesome things that can be done to a human being. Also learned in the 2nd video nobody was charged for it.
This video is an eye opener because it covers a lot of information that I didn’t know about. Lynching is a commonly known punishment that many black people endured. This form of punishment was primarily used towards black men who were falsely accused of raping white women. White privilege is a prominent theme in society and they used lynching to instill fear and enforce their “superiority”.
Ida B. Wells thoughts were correct about lynching. Lynching as well as slavery were about financial gain and greed of mainly the European race. This video implicates the cruelty of whites using a myth of black men raping white women so they can lynch them was an excuse to kill black men. Jealousy, control and fear were the reasons of lynching. Whites today use this as a tool to destroy and put black men in prison. It’s popular among athletes for white women to say they were raped when they both consented. Blacks did realize that they could gain rights within loop holes in the laws. White constantly changed laws for their benefit. They still do this today and we are unaware until it’s in place. Blacks are still not informed about laws that exist or those being reformed.
It’s mind boggling that lynching was a normalized act. To think that Blacks fought for it to be illegal. Black had to walk on eggshells just to be able to make to their destination or living another day. All in all, whites are intimidated by us. They resulted to hanging us instead of facing issues head. It’s very cowardly actually.
I agree. Whites using this form of treatment toward African Americans at their lowest and knowing they couldn’t do anything to stop it was very much cowardly.
Knowing that Black Men falsely accused of raping white women is sickening. For the punishment, the thought of lynching makes me sick to my stomach. Innocent men’s lives were taken by the hands of white people due to false assumptions. I believe they needed to feel so superior to taking the lives of others was a way to keep that power. Nowadays, it is in a new form of police brutality.
I agree the new form police are no better… they pick on African Americans but mostly males. They shoot now and ask questions later. To be honest we not even worried about white people.
The story of murdering of The Peoples Grocery owners really drives home the seriousness of injustice during this time. The entire narrative was their this grocery store was a nuisance to the town, even though there was never a crime reported. Because they ran a store that competed with one owned by white people, they were a threat to their power. It is horrific to hear the hell that the three men want through, and even worse when you consider their families.
For lynching to become a norm or to be something the whites used again say blacks as a way to scare them is sad and ridiculous. It’s crazy that people will literally sit back and watch somebody get lynched and do nothing about it. They just stand around and watch as if that act is normal or even ok. The grocery store story was very sad and unfortunate. To be terrorized, brought to jail, then shot and killed by angry whites is just unbelievable. Then, for them to not be hell responsible for it just shows that blacks can’t catch a break. Blacks never had a chance to even make it.
Lynching was used to terrorize the black community. Black people never had a fair break. They were accused of everything in the book and instead of a trail or investigation they were killed instead. Ida B wells discovered that lynching was used to economically keep the black people below everyone else.
I agree! Black people never had a break. Things seem “ok” now, but they aren’t. We’re a long way from lynching, but we still have a lot of progress to make.
Relatively nothing in regards to already being exposed to this information is how I feel. It is always sad to see any group of people being mistreated throughout history to the point of death. It’s quite disheartening at times but it has sadly become systematically routine which is very at times bleak. I can only imagine those who’ve experiences this in any form or fashion would have to say to the world now in regards to change.
I agree the racism and
treatment they endured could only have negative affects on ones mind
Black people being lynched for false accusations of raping white women was completely absurd. White people not being charged for any of the murders was very sickening. Whites felt as though blacks inferior to them and used lynching as a fear to put into slaves and black people. Ida B. Wells made a connection to the lynching and she knew so much that she had gotten threatened to be lynched.
I agree blacks being lynched for false accusations was completely wrong , I did not know about any of this before watching it really opened my eyes to alot
I agree that it’s very sickening how blacks were punished for false accusations and whites got away with real crimes.
after being exposed to this video I learned some things that i did not know. Blacks being lynched for the accusation of raping white women back in the day. in the second video nobody was charged for the murders that happened. the whites even threatened to lynch wells if she had returned back to her office all because she knew more about the lynching of blacks.
After watching these videos it was just crazy to me how lynching was really a way to keep black slaves at bay. Lynching was use to put fear into the slaves and it worked. Blacks would be lynched for even being accused of something even without no proof or evidence
I agree blacks being lynched for false accusations was way beyond me !
I mentioned something similar to this in my comment, crazy thing is… it’s still going on today! White cops, and even white citizens still instill fear in our people. The random “pull overs” that cops do when they see a black man driving, or the random questioning they do to black people just walking on a street. It keep black people down, fearful, and “at bay” like you said in our society.
Watching both of these short videos not only gave me a reminder on how racist Memphis, Tennessee was during that decade. But how much white people were allowed to assert their white privilege and get away with crimes that would never be turned away today. Ida B Wells was a revolutionary woman who was speaking ideologies that we use in today’s society like for example feminism. Much like the video mentioned she was a feminist before it even was created. She knew exactly how to manipulate the situation at hand by releasing that article. Because it would gain traction for the whites who wanted to demolish the hard work and perseverance it took to build People’s Grocery.
I have to agree. My family is from Clarksdale, Mississippi. Not only is the confederate flag in the state flag, official government buildings still wave the flag alongside the American flag the state flag. It is a very intentional way of letting the Black community know that regardless of the new age, they still hold true to their outdated beliefs.
I agree. After watching this videos these are the same things I never knew happened or was even going on.
Same here, it seems like a lot of things African Americans endured weren’t made known.
It only makes sense that lynching was a tactic whites who felt superior used to bring order to black people in America. With this they were able to put that fear in black people which would then make them feel as if they have to behave a certain way or in accordance to how whites wanted to in order to avoid lynching.
i would have to agree , to avoid lynching blacks did whatever they could to avoid the whites from doing it.
I agree I feel as if the whites knew they can get away with this so they felt superior.
I would agree to avoid lynching black people would follow suit to what white people would say
I didn’t know that back then it was basically instilled into Black people, that first class citizenship was a privilege. Not a right even though in the Constitution is say’s something differently. All because of superior aspects that the white people put in place. That clearly didn’t include black people. It seems like if Ida B. Wells didn’t make the connection with Lynching. That no one would have ever knew that lynching back then meant, keeping the black people economically suppressed. Not the myth that was going around saying, that black men would be lynched if they were raping white women.
Both videos are very shocking and shows that white people were privileged and still are. Ida B. Wells knew the facts behind lynching of blacks and used her knowledge to put it out into the town and was threatened to be lynched for it. Black people were falsely accused and lynched while the white people got away with murder and rape which is very sickening.
Watching these videos really hurt my heart. Back then, black people really had no say so in anything. The fact that they were falsely accused of crimes they didn’t commit. Whites felt the need to lynch blacks and come together as if that’s human like.