SophiaPretty
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Race relations is once again at the forefront of political discourse in the United States. Today, inadigital age of CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, the “Googles,” and a myriad other sources, access to“information” on virtually any topic is literally just a few keystrokes away. The challenge forstudents today is not access, but rather discerning the legitimacy and significance of opinionthatis often represented as fact. What sources do presenters use? How does cultural bias perhapsaffect their perspective? How valid are their claims? What empirical evidence supports theirviews? How was this evidence collected? These questions (to list but a few) are all useful whenanalyzing any argument. The ability for citizens to assess and validate information is vital in a21st century democracy, and the skills employed in the historian’s craft are well suited for thispurpose.An example of the need for citizens’ use of these discursive tools can be found in what many(wrongly) argue are the opposing political and social movements of Black Lives Matters, and AllLives Matters (sometimes referred to as the “War on Cops).” The latter notes the high number ofofficer deaths by firearms in the United States. While this indeed garners much media attention,the empirical evidence does not support their supposition. Police officer deaths across Americahave fallen dramatically since the historic high levels of Prohibition (1920-1932), when over 200officers were killed in a single year. The year 2015, was the second safest year for police inrelationship to shootings, with 42 officers killed. In contrast, statistical data does support theBLM contention that African Americans are more likely to be killed by police. When comparingdeaths per arrest, Blacks are 1½ times more likely to be killed while being arrested than whites.One of the challenges when appraising social movements is contextualizing their historicalsignificance. Examining the history of lynching in America provides an opportunity tohistoricize the relationship between African Americans and law enforcement of a dominant whiteculture. Students frequently associate lynching with the antebellum (pre-Civil War) South. Inreality, this became a mechanism to control black males after Reconstruction. In fact, far moreblacks were lynched in the 20th century then 19th century. Also, black males were not the onlyvictims of lynching. Black women, and foreigners were also targets, though less frequently.The main focus of the first term paper will be Ida B. Wells’ Southern Horrors. However, inpreparation, this assignment will be a short case study of lynching in America.Instructions:Go to the website Without Sanctuary, found here: http://withoutsanctuary.org/.This is a website constructed to support James Allen’s book, Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America. As the name suggests, the book and the website trace the history of lynching pictures and picture postcards. These were widely distributed and sold as souvenirs inthe 20th century.Watch the flash movie found in the left column. It is narrated by the author and is approximately 5 minutes in length. 2Choose one or two images from the photos tab and conduct an internet search of the lynching incident. Include research into the history of lynching. This should include arguments from IdaB. Wells, or another source, as to the underlying causes/significance of lynching in America.Write/record your presentation. The assignment will be approximately 250 words, or alternatively 2 minutes in length. Discussion must include an analysis of the photograph, as wellas context provided from your research.