Lynch mobs targeting Black news publishers and landowners were not just acts of individual racial hatred but part of a systemic effort to suppress African American economic independence and political voice during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These violent actions were strategically designed to maintain white supremacy and control over social and political structures by eliminating those who challenged the status quo.
News publishers played a crucial role in the African American community by informing, organizing, and mobilizing readers against injustices. Black publishers like Ida B. Wells, who campaigned against lynching, presented a direct threat to white supremacists by exposing their crimes and advocating for African American rights. By targeting these figures, lynch mobs aimed to silence a powerful voice for change and keep the Black populace uninformed and disconnected. Ultimately, those in power do not want their subjects to control their own narrative, especially for the history books.
HISTORICAL REFERENCE:
On November 10, 1898, in Wilmington, North Carolina, Alexander Manly, the editor of The Daily Record, narrowly escaped a lynch mob that sought to kill him. Manly was a target due to his prominent role as a Black news publisher and his national reputation for challenging negative racial stereotypes through his commentary. The mob, consisting of about 1,500 white supremacists, failed to capture Manly but destroyed his newspaper, The Daily Record, which was the state’s only daily Black newspaper. Following the destruction of the newspaper, the mob initiated a massacre, killing possibly hundreds of the town’s 2,100 Black residents and forcing many to flee. This event marked a significant moment in the history of racial violence in the United States and contributed to the ushering in of the Jim Crow era in the South.
Land ownership was another significant symbol of independence and prosperity for African Americans. Owning property provided economic stability, social status, and political power. It was also a means of escaping the exploitative sharecropping system that kept many Black families in poverty. When African Americans acquired land and became successful, it disrupted the racial hierarchy and economic control whites had enforced since slavery. Thus, lynch mobs often targeted Black landowners to terrorize the community and discourage property acquisition and economic progress.
HISTORICAL REFERENCE:
Anthony Crawford, an African American landowner in Abbeville, South Carolina, was lynched by a mob on October 21, 1916. Crawford had grown his inherited land to over 400 acres, becoming one of the wealthiest Black men in the county. His lynching followed a dispute with a white store owner over the price of cottonseed, leading to his arrest for his own protection. Despite being released on bail, a mob pursued and brutally murdered him. In the aftermath, the mob also forced Crawford’s family to leave, seizing their property and closing down all Black-owned businesses in Abbeville.
In targeting both news publishers and landowners, lynch mobs sought to undermine African American advancement on multiple fronts. By instilling fear, they hoped to keep Black individuals subservient and dependent, ensuring that white dominance remained unchallenged in the economic, social, and political arenas. These atrocious acts were a clear message: attempts by African Americans to claim their rights and improve their status would be met with the most brutal responses.
Understanding these motivations is crucial, as it highlights the systemic nature of racial violence and the lengths to which oppressors will go to maintain power. It also emphasizes the resilience and courage of Black individuals who, despite these threats, continued to strive for progress and equality. Remembering these events is essential for recognizing the deep roots of racial inequality and the importance of continued vigilance and activism against its modern forms.
