withoutsanctuary.org

[Garrett S.]

Although I had to visit this site for a college course, this is not the first time I have experienced these images and the realization of how badly whites treated blacks in America's past. The lynching and terror tactics that were allowed to be used in this country is a stain that has been purposely underplayed in high school history courses across the nation. I personally did not fully know of these atrocities until I was a sophmore in college and from viewing other people's responses it is evident that this period is something many people in America wish to forget and disregard. President after president continued to ignore this problem; fixing things only for the white man while leaving the black man with nothing. Even one of our most respected presidents, FDR, refused to impose an anti-lynching bill even when lynchings became very common again in the early 30's. Viewing these pictures shows that lynching was once a Sunday picnic spectacle to bring the family out to and enjoy the afternoon. I'm happy that this movie has been made and this site is available for everyone to view. There is nothing that can be done to save the unfortunate souls that were subjected to this violence. But we can take this true documentation of historical racial violence and try to create a situation today that ensures these people did not die in vain.