Date of Award
2015
Degree Type
Open Access Thesis
Document Type
Master Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Justice Studies
First Advisor
Kishonna L. Gray
Department Affiliation
Justice Studies
Second Advisor
Tyler Wall
Department Affiliation
Justice Studies
Third Advisor
Travis Linnemann
Department Affiliation
Justice Studies
Abstract
This thesis explores the politics of racial violence in America. Lynchings have served as a means for controlling black communities since the end of the Civil War. For southerners, the model of the plantation economy had to be followed during industrialization in order to maintain social and economic hierarchies. This paper examines numerous aspects of lynchings and their legal justifications as foundational to modern police and vigilante killings. A critical race virtual ethnography was conducted to explore the similarities and differences between historical lynchings and the recent killings of black men in the media. I have outlined that there are many problematic similarities between historical and recent killings that highlight the racial violence that has plagued the United States. By looking specifically at two notable cases, Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, a deeper insight can be gained into modern racial violence and its implications.
Copyright
Copyright 2015 Bethany Callan Nelson
Recommended Citation
Nelson, Bethany Callan, "Destroying Blackness One Body At A Time: Examining The Mediated Representations Of Lynchings Past And Present" (2015). Online Theses and Dissertations. 297.
https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/297
