The Lynching Exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum

[Fatemah2774]

Yesterday I went to see the lynching exhibit now at the Brooklyn Museum and was unnerved in the intensity and power of the words and pictures. Seeing the interactive map where over 4000 mostly African-American people lost their lives for perceived slights made to the Caucasians in their area brought out to me sadness, despair and overwhelming grief. Lynchings are thought only to have occurred in the Confederate South, but there were many instances of mob justice as far north as New York and Pennsylvania and as far west as California.

Reading some of their stories was harrowing. One which struck deep was a female African-American teacher who reprimanded some Caucasian children for throwing rocks at her as she was returning home from her school. A mob gathered that night, on her property, forcibly removing her, lynched her to a tree on her property and left her body up, not cutting it down, so her family could see the crime for being so uppity. When her son advocated for justice, the governor of the state said he was powerless to do any action including prosecution or imprisonment of the guilty parties. Less than a week later he was forced to flee for his life as the Caucasians in the community explained that he would be next. He and his younger siblings left with only the clothes on their back thus abandoning the property the family owned, the house and it's furnishings and their ties to go to another state.

It hurts to see these type of displays, and it pains me as an educated African-American transsexual woman who is blessed to live in present times, yet still face the demons in yet another form. This effort is needed to heal our divide, and as one quote explained, Slavery didn't end in 1865, it evolved.

I pray with our present crises and the current occupant sitting in the White House, that this evolving stop, retreat and hopefully fade away. But for that to happen, all of us need to refresh and remember the infamy of this era where terrorism was done by Americans to other Americans.

[ffr]

1. Every waking moment right now is sadness, despair and overwhelming grief

Cult45 and Dotard are tearing this country apart, pitting American against American so that he can get is vindictive revenge on us all.

[HipChick]

2. It has not ended..

just has a different form...

[heaven05]

3. and we are

BACK in the feeling of those times where the slightest misstep by a person of color starts racists gathering for lynch mobs. Whether they be charlottesville white supremacists rioting, killing, beating and maiming other human beings not agreeing with their racist hate or just the open use of the n-word by officials, high and low and some carrying badge and gun, we are back in the cultural climate which is the subject of this exhibit.

I have a large poster on my wall of the lynching, mutilation(sexual parts) and burning of 3 black men at a picnic of whites. There was food and drink for all at this picnic of death. One of the first things I was aware of growing up in a part of the south was always walk facing the traffic...no sidewalks there and remain 'respectful' to the white people, "even if they call you names"......now hurry back". Luckily I did, many didn't......Take a knee, take a knee.....