Arkansas and Lynching

Between 1882 and 1968, Arkansas was in seventh place among U.S. states where African Americans were lynching victims. During that period, 226 African Americans lost their lives at the hands of white mobs. And these were only the recorded instances. The true figure is undoubtedly higher. Examined by per capita of population, Arkansas rises into second place just behind Mississippi. In other words, aside from Mississippi, African Americans were more likely to be murdered by a white mob in Arkansas between the years of 1882 and 1968 than in any other state in the nation. You can find out more about lynching in Arkansas in a new book edited by Guy Lancaster called Bullets and Fire: Lynching and Authority in Arkansas published by the University of Arkansas Press.