Lynching & Racial Violence
The Anti-Lynching Campaign
Between 1910 and 1934, W.E.B. Du Bois used The Crisis to wage a relentless campaign against lynching. His writings combined moral outrage, statistical analysis, and detailed documentation of individual cases. Du Bois exposed the lie that lynching was a response to crime, arguing instead that it was a tool of racial terror designed to maintain white supremacy.
Key Themes
Documentation & Exposure Du Bois documented nearly every lynching, publishing victims’ names, locations, and circumstances. This meticulous record-keeping created an undeniable historical archive.
The Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill Throughout the early 1920s, Du Bois advocated for federal anti-lynching legislation, particularly the Dyer Bill. He exposed Southern opposition and critiqued Northern political compromise.
Economic Motives Du Bois demonstrated how lynching served economic interests, suppressing Black labor organizing and eliminating economic competitors.
Gender & Sexual Violence His writings addressed the myth of the “Black rapist” used to justify lynching, while also documenting violence against Black women.
Regional Patterns Articles traced lynching’s geographic distribution and its relationship to political and economic conditions in different regions.
Major Events Covered
- East St. Louis Riot (1917) - Industrial conflict turned deadly
- Red Summer (1919) - Wave of racial violence across multiple cities
- 1920s Anti-Lynching Campaigns - Push for federal legislation
- Individual Cases - Detailed accounts of specific lynchings and their aftermath
Use the search box below to find specific cases, locations, or themes within these articles.
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