Finally, someone stepped forward to break the silence. That evening, three of them elias clayton, elmer jackson, and isaac mcghie. He assumed a book had already been written about it. The multiple lynchings in duluth, minnesota, however, represent the farthest north this practice reached. The book without sanctuary goes with a travelling exhibition of postcards from lynchings in usa between 1870 and 1940 or thereabouts. Dylan was born in duluth, and grew up in hibbing, which is 60 miles northwest of duluth. Lynching photography in america by james allen, hilton als, leon f. On june 15, 1920, police arrest several young black men accused of raping a white woman. Two of the victims are still hanging while the third is laid on the ground.
He planned to include a lynching and remembered hearing, when he was about 10 years old, about a lynching that had occurred in duluth. Lewis worked on his novel, kingsblood royal, in duluth, and he interviewed eddie nichols and other black people about their memories of the lynching. As new lynching memorial opens, a look back on americas. The book is an eyeopening account of one of the darkest moments in duluth history, wellresearched and wellwritten.
But on june 15, 1920, three african americans, elias clayton, elmer jackson, and isaac mcghie, were lynched in duluth, minnesota. The selfcongratulatory posed photograph of mob members with the bodies was made into a horrifying postcard, a frequent practice in lynch law america. Lynching is widely believed to be something that only happened in the south. For a compelling read i strongly recommend the lynchings in d uluth by michael fedo. Resources related to the tragic events surrounding the duluth lynchings of june 15, 1920. Twin palms publishers, 2000, is a new, startling book on this shocking topic of lynching in america. That evening, three of them elias clayton, elmer jackson, and isaac mcghie are taken from jail by a mob and lynched. The 1920 duluth mn lynchings americas black holocaust museum. Ironically, the pursuit of these images has brought to me a great sense of purpose and personal satisfaction. Dylan was born in duluth but grew up in hibbing, minnesota. These images are some of photographys most brutal, surviving to this day so that we may now look back on the terrorism unleashed on americas africanamerican community and perhaps know our history and ourselves better. Combining hourbyhour, daybyday narrative with expert scholarship based on interviews, suppressed documents and news reports, fedo skillfully portrays northern prejudice. A photo of the three men who had been lynched was made into postcards at the time and shown throughout duluth.
It is a period of heightened racial conflict across the country. A lynching of three circus workers in duluth, minnesota in 1920 inspired. Author of the lynchings in duluth broke silence on city. After the duluth lynching in 1920, a graphic photograph of three black men killed by being hanged from a light pole was distributed as a postcard. The harrowing night of that lynching and its aftermath is what this book about. Lynching is widely believed to be something that happened only in the. The first verse of the 1965 song desolation row by bob dylan, who was born in duluth, recalls the lynchings in duluth. A physician who examined the girl found no evidence of rape or assault. Bob dylans song desolation row recalls the lynching. Using newspaper accounts, court records, state files, and interviews with aging and often reluctant witnesses, he recounts the small. Till i came upon a postcard of a lynching, postcards seemed trivial to me, the way second hand, misshapen rubbermaid products might seem now. But the fact that lynchings took place in many parts of the country was underscored recently in the northern minnesota city of duluth when the city unveiled a moving memorial commemorating the. Postcard souvenirs were often made to commemorate lynchings at least two were made of the duluth crimes. The lynching of thomas shipp and abram smith, a large gathering of lynchers.
Michael fedo, a former journalist, tells the story of the lynchings in d uluth in a clear, sober manner, weaving a skillful narrative. The duluth lynching, in particular, has haunted those connected to it in various ways. The lynching postcard was part of a private collection of postcards, glass negatives and other duluth memorabilia entrusted to local dealer craig lipinski for sale after the owner died, lipinski. Michael fedo is the author of the lynchings in duluth. These lynchings occurred on june 15, 1920, when three black circus workers were attacked and lynched by a mob in duluth, minnesota. This book is a narrative timeline of the 1920 mob lynching of 3 black men who were among a handful of men suspected of raping a white west duluth woman. But on june 15, 1920, three african americans, elias clayton, elmer jackson, and isaac mcghie, were lynched in duluth. The story about the lynchings is told in the 1979 book the lynchings in duluth, by michael fedo. A postcard showing the 1920 duluth, minnesota lynchings, showing three african american circus workers falsely accused of raping a white woman. In 1920, duluth is home to a small black community. Rumors had circulated among the mob that six african americans had raped a teenage girl.
Duluth store sells postcard of 1920 lynching twin cities. This file contains additional information such as exif metadata which may have been added by the digital camera, scanner, or software program used to create or digitize it. Theyre selling postcards of the hanging theyre painting the passports brown the beauty parlor is filled with sailors the circus is in town. Lynching is widely believed to be something that happened only in the south. Lynchings across the country had striking similarities. Similar to other lynchings, a photographer was on the scene at the duluth lynching to take pictures and make postcards. James fallows, the atlantic a chilling reconstruction of a 1920 racial tragedy. Lynching of will james in cairo, illinois, november 11, 1909. The duluth lynchings lasting legacy the marshall project. Hundredyear commemoration of duluth lynching could see. With essays by hilton als, leon litwack, congressman john lewis and james allen, these photographs have been published as a book without sanctuary. It stayed in the local news for months during the criminal trials that followed.
It was michael fedos 1979 book, trial by mob, however, that refused to let the. I think this was a sears store or a hardware store. Hundredyear commemoration of duluth lynching could see 10,000person rally pdd news sieve sep 22, 2019 no comments share its been nearly 100 years since elias clayton, elmer jackson and isaac mcghie were falsely accused, taken by force from the old duluth jail, and lynched by an estimated 10,000 community members at the intersection where. Opinion a lynching memorial unveiled in duluth the new. The greatgrandson of one of the duluth lynchers wrote a book several years ago called the lyncher in me. A recent book, without sanctuary, is a collection of photos and postcards from nearly 100 lynchings. James allen has assembled a collection of chilling photographs of lynchings throughout america, primarily from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The book has essays from hilton als, leon litwack and congressman john lewis. Beforehand there were rumours that black people had raped a teenager. Now the book is, for the first time, widely available under the title, the lynchings in duluth.
Fedo, a duluth native and former correspondent for the new york times, retells the story of the lynching of three black men for the alleged rape of a white woman in duluth, mn in 1920, based on newspaper accounts, court records, state files, and interviews with witnesses. The 1920 duluth lynchings occurred when a mob attacked and lynched three black circus workers in duluth, minnesota. This unusual northern lynching received wide public attention at the time, due in part to the fact. By the 1920s lynchings of african americans had become a standard practice across the nation. In the song, the lynching image mingles with other pictures that continue to haunt old and new listeners. Duluth, minnesota, the site of a triple lynching, has removed two. These lynching photographs were often made into postcards and sold as souvenirs to the crowds in attendance. And dylans desolation row is another kind of postcard of the hanging. Clayton, elmer jackson, and isaac mcghie, were lynched in duluth. On june 15, 1920, a duluth mob lynched three black men. Most lynchings were of africanamerican men in the south, but women were also lynched, and white lynchings of blacks occurred in midwestern.
Postcard image of the lynching of elias clayton, elmer jackson, and. If the file has been modified from its original state, some details such as the timestamp may not fully reflect those of the. The lynchings in d uluth is a powerful reminder of the broader american pattern. The law in minnesota had no death penalty on the books, and still has none today. The victims of the 1920 duluth lynchings zenith city online. The john robinson circus made its way to duluth on. Website featuring photographs and descriptions from the book without sanctuary by james allen, with postcards of lynchings in america.
A search for redemption in the face of history, about the. The lynchings in duluth about as far north as you can go in the united states are among more than 4,000 extrajudicial murders of african americans tallied by the equal justice initiative for its legacy museum and national memorial for peace and justice, which opened in montgomery. Searching through americas past for the last 25 years, collector james allen uncovered an extraordinary visual legacy. Reads book, the lyncher in me, was published in march 2008. The duluth school district did not ban the books from the schools. Lynching photography in america contains reproductions of the photographic postcards that were made of the duluth lynching. The book makes repeated references to lynching, and it bitterly attacks racism. Within its pages duluthians can learn the truth about. Someone made postcards out of the photo, and sold them as souvenirs. Duluth police chief addresses his link to 1920 lynching. The whole thing goes with the theme opened up by rod dreher, bill moyers, and the james cone book shown on my goodreads site.
As new lynching memorial opens, a look back on americas history of racial terrorism we listen back to interviews with historian philip dray, author of. On the 96th anniversary of the lynching of three black circus workers in duluth, mike tusken, the citys newly appointed police chief, described the challenge of coming to. This is where the mob broke in, says michael fedo, who wrote a book about the 1920 lynchings. The book, originally published in 1979, tells the story of the lynchings of elias clayton, elmer jackson and isaac mcghie. In the 1970s, michael fedo, a duluth native, prepared to write a novel set in postwwi america. Lewis set his story in a fictional northern minnesota city, an awful lot like duluth. On june 15, 1920, three africanamerican circus workers, elias clayton, elmer jackson, and. Duluth lynching anniversary minnesota public radios chris julin reports on shameful and largely forgotten piece of history from 1920, when a. The site is a companion to allens book without sanctuary. The duluth lynching memorial unveiled in 2003 was the first of its size and scope to honor people who died under such cruel. Lynching in the united states wikipedia audio article. Melissa taylor first saw the postcard when she was in high school.
Cone with the noose and the lynching tree entering the national discussion in the wake of recent news events, bill moyers interviews theologian james cone about how these powerful images. Theyre selling postcards of the hanging theyre painting the passports brown. Hippa wasnt a thing then and the victims doctor went around telling people there wasnt evidence of an assault. Michael fedo publishes the lynchings in duluththe first booklength investigation of the. Descendants of 1920 minnesota lynching bond during alabama. The first verse of bob dylans 1965 song desolation row recalls the lynchings in duluth. In a thursday, april 26, 2018 photo, warren read touches a steel column engraved with the names of the three men killed in the 1920 lynching in duluth, minn. Duluth, minnesota, the site of a triple lynching, has.
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