AntiLynching

Antilynching refers to organized efforts to end lynching, a form of extrajudicial killing carried out by mobs, often to enforce racial domination. In the United States, lynching became a tool of white supremacy from the late 19th century into the mid-20th century, with Black Americans as the primary victims. Lynchings were publicly performed in many communities and were used to intimidate and control people and neighborhoods. While exact counts are disputed, historians describe hundreds to thousands of victims across the South and other regions.

Activism and organization emerged to counter this violence. Ida B. Wells, a journalist and civil rights advocate, investigated and denounced lynching, publishing detailed reports and urging federal action. The NAACP, founded in 1909, led sustained campaigns, investigations, and publicity through its magazine, The Crisis, to document abuses and press for legal protections. Over time, anti-lynching campaigns linked racial terror to broader civil rights struggles and demanded federal intervention to override local impunity.

Legislation and legal history include notable federal efforts to criminalize lynching. The Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill of 1918, named for Representative Leonidas Dyer, passed the House but failed in the Senate, illustrating the long and difficult road toward federal action. In the 20th and 21st centuries, additional anti-lynching bills have been introduced repeatedly, reflecting ongoing efforts to address racial violence at the federal level, though none had become law for many decades. In the 21st century, the Emmett Till Antilynching Act has been proposed multiple times as a federal crime, but as of the early 2020s had not yet been enacted.

Legacy and memory of antiflinching work remain evident in research, memorials, museums, and education. Scholars continue to catalog victims and examine the social and legal structures that sustained lynching, informing contemporary conversations about racial violence and justice.