Amy Bailey Quoted in Mother Jones Essay
Posted: 10/28/2019 (CSDE in the News)
The metaphor of “lynching” is repeatedly used by politicians in recent American history. This Mother Jones essay explores how the metaphor came about in American politics considering the violent racial history of the term “lynching”. The author quotes CSDE Affiliate and Professor of Sociology Amy Bailey about her research examining race and inequality. Bailey discusses the historical roots of lynching and racial violence drawing on her co-authored book with CSDE Affiliate Stew Tolnay, Lynching: The Victims of Southern Mob Violence. Bailey argues that powerful politicians who use this metaphor ultimately contribute to a “false narrative” of this part of US history—diminishing the meaning of the term “lynching” for those who were actual victims of the historical violence.