At the hands of persons unknown : the lynching of Black America
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references (pages 467-477) and index.

"This account of lynching in America, by acclaimed civil rights historian Philip Dray, shines a clear, bright light on American history’s darkest stain-- illuminating its causes, perpetrators, apologists, and victims. Philip Dray also tells the story of the men and women who led the long and difficult fight to expose and eradicate lynching, including Ida B. Wells, James Weldon Johnson, Walter White, and W.E.B. Du Bois. If lynching is emblematic of what is worst about America, their fight may stand for what is best: the commitment to justice and fairness and the conviction that one individual’s sense of right can suffice to defy the gravest of wrongs. This book follows the trajectory of both forces over American history-- and makes lynching’s legacy belong to us all."--Adapted from publisher's website.

A history of lynching in America describes its common use, especially in the southern United States, and discusses the crusade by a handful of black and white citizens to eliminate the shameful practice.