RESEARCH
"The damage created by lynching needs to be confronted and discussed. Only then can we
meaningfully address the contemporary problems that are lynching's legacy."
BRYAN STEVENSON
RACIAL TERROR IN LEE COUNTY
1877-1920s
In partnership with the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities and the Auburn University History Department, we received a small grant from Auburn University Concessions board to create and disseminate an educational booklet which shares some of our research.
With this booklet, our goal is to share the stories of the documented racial terror lynchings in Lee County and unveil the narratives which tie vigilante racial violence to the justice system, allowing us to tell the larger story of violence against Black/African Americans in Lee County. It is free and available for access both online and in print.
Booklet design by Laura Murray
RACIAL TERROR LYNCHINGS
1877-1950
Lynchings were violent, public executions orchestrated by white men and women to regain and retain political, economic and social superiority. Between 1877-1950, over 4,000 lynchings occurred in the United States. These acts of violence were characterized by white impunity & disregard for the legal system and inflicted great fear and trauma in the entire Black community.
Of the 361 documented racial terror lynchings in Alabama, 5 occurred in Lee County.
To learn about the five lynchings, we relied heavily on newspaper records - pulled from Alabama Archives, Newspapers.com, and microfilm at the Lewis Cooper Jr. Library in Opelika, AL and Auburn University.
Hover over the names on the map below to see our research on each case: