The People

This is a (likely incomplete) list of the names of persons who were killed in lynchings that took place in North Carolina between the end of the Civil War and the beginning of World War II.

This list is a work in progress and will be updated as more information comes to light. Those persons identified as “Unidentified” were of course not unknown–they were fathers and sons, wives, and daughters,  they had friends and enemies, communities and stories.

Why are we publishing these names? Publishing these names takes a small step toward recognizing their personhood in ways the public record does not. Their lynching was an act of attempted erasure, using them as a tool of subjugation even as they were tortured and murdered. Naming them recalls their lives before that moment. Their names also offer pathways to researchers interested in finding out more about them.

When possible, we are also publishing the names of members of mobs, who were inappropriately protected by law enforcement and the press.

If you are a descendant of a lynching victim and would prefer their name not be public, please contact either Elijah Gaddis (ejgaddis AT auburn.edu) or Seth Kotch (sethkotch AT unc.edu).

Lynchings and Possible Lynchings in North Carolina