On September 13, 2024, the world lost Javion McGee, a 21-year-old truck driver from Chicago, in a horrific and deeply disturbing way. McGee’s body was found hanging from a tree in Henderson, North Carolina. His death, though it occurred under suspicious circumstances, has yet to receive the attention it deserves from mainstream media. It’s a story that echoes through the ages—a reminder of the violent and oppressive past that Black Americans have been forced to endure for centuries. While McGee’s family is grieving and demanding answers, they are up against a system that has often turned a blind eye to the suffering and brutalization of Black lives.
This tragic event is not just an isolated incident but a continuation of a long, painful history of lynchings and racial violence that has plagued the United States. Javion McGee’s story cannot be told without looking back at the terror Black Americans have faced for generations. We must confront the reality that lynching remains a part of the American landscape—an insidious and violent reminder of the systemic racism that continues to haunt this nation.
The History of Lynching in America
Lynching has been a brutal tool of white supremacy in the United States for over 300 years. It was not simply a matter of extrajudicial punishment, but a method used to terrorize and control Black communities. From the early 19th century through the 1960s, thousands of Black men, women, and children were lynched across America, with many more subjected to other forms of racial violence. These murders were often carried out publicly, with large white crowds gathering to witness and participate in the slaughter of innocent Black people, their bodies sometimes mutilated or burned as souvenirs were taken.
The United States, a country that prides itself on its “Christian values” and its “freedom,” built itself on the backs of Black people hijacked from Africa. The systemic brutality, cruelty, and sheer evil that allowed whites to feel entitled to lynchings have left deep scars, not only in the African-American community but in the very soul of this nation.
Here are ten documented cases of lynching in the U.S. that reflect this dark history:
- Emmett Till (1955) – Perhaps the most famous case of lynching in American history, 14-year-old Emmett Till was brutally murdered in Mississippi after being accused of whistling at a white woman. His killers, two white men, were acquitted despite overwhelming evidence of their guilt.
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Mary Turner (1918) – In Georgia, Mary Turner, a pregnant Black woman, was lynched after publicly condemning the lynching of her husband. She was hung by her ankles, doused in gasoline, and set on fire. Her unborn child was cut from her womb and crushed underfoot.
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Jesse Washington (1916) – In Waco, Texas, 17-year-old Jesse Washington was tortured, burned alive, and lynched before a cheering crowd of thousands. He was accused of murdering a white woman, though no evidence supported the claim.
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Sam Hose (1899) – After a confrontation with his employer, Sam Hose was lynched in Georgia. A crowd of 2,000 gathered to watch as he was burned alive, his body mutilated and pieces of his remains sold as souvenirs.
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Claude Neal (1934) – In Florida, Neal was accused of raping a white woman. A mob kidnapped him from jail, tortured him, and mutilated his body in a gruesome public spectacle.
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James Byrd Jr. (1998) – Though not a lynching by hanging, Byrd’s murder in Jasper, Texas, stands as one of the most horrific modern-day lynchings. He was chained to a truck by white supremacists and dragged to his death along a road.
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Laura and L.D. Nelson (1911) – A mother and her teenage son, Laura and L.D. Nelson, were lynched in Okemah, Oklahoma. They were dragged from their jail cells and hanged from a bridge by a white mob.
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George Meadows (1889) – Meadows was accused of killing a white woman in Alabama, though there was no evidence linking him to the crime. He was lynched by a mob, his body riddled with bullets after his death.
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Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith (1930) – Shipp and Smith were dragged from their jail cells in Marion, Indiana, and lynched by a mob. The infamous photograph of their bodies hanging from a tree became one of the most widely circulated images of lynching in the U.S.
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Will Brown (1919) – During the Omaha race riots, Will Brown, a Black man accused of assaulting a white woman, was beaten, lynched, and burned by a mob. His charred body was dragged through the streets in celebration.
Lynching: A Tradition of Terror
The lynching of Black people in America is not a random act of violence—it is a calculated and systemic method of control. It is a gruesome reminder that in the United States, Black lives have always been devalued, and in many cases, brutally extinguished. Lynching was used to keep Black people “in their place,” to punish them for perceived infractions, and to instill fear in the wider Black community. The message was clear: your life has no value here. Your body, your spirit, and your future belong to us.
White Americans, many of whom called themselves Christians, participated in these lynchings, justifying their actions with warped interpretations of religious doctrine and the entrenched belief that Black people were inferior. Yet, how can a people claim spiritual authority when their very existence is rooted in such cruelty and hatred?
This is the America Black people know. This is the America Black men and women walk through every day. We carry the weight of this history on our shoulders, knowing that at any moment, our lives could be violently snatched away. We have seen this over and over again, from lynchings to police shootings, from Emmett Till to Javion McGee.
Walking With Fear in America
The burden of living while Black in America is the constant threat of violence—whether from the police, vigilantes, or systemic racism. There is an ever-present fear that when you walk out your front door, you may not come back. For Black men and women, death is always a possibility. The police, with their guns and badges, represent a legal form of this threat, but white citizens, emboldened by centuries of racial supremacy, feel entitled to take matters into their own hands as well.
The history of the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist organizations is intertwined with American law enforcement. In many cases, these groups are one and the same. Police officers, judges, and politicians have often been members of the Klan, and they continue to protect and serve the interests of white supremacy. The fear that Black people feel is not irrational—it is rooted in this truth.
We know that our lives are under constant threat, and yet, there are no protections for us. We cannot call the police, because often, the police are the ones committing the violence. We cannot seek justice, because the system is designed to oppress us. We walk with a tension, knowing that we are not safe, knowing that the deck is stacked against us.
Lynching is Business as Usual
Javion McGee’s death is a reminder that lynching is still business as usual in America. The methods may have changed, but the outcome is the same: Black lives are deemed expendable. Whether it’s through the hands of a white mob or the system itself, Black people are still being lynched in America. The media’s silence on this issue is deafening, but it is not surprising. We have seen this time and time again. Our pain, our suffering, our deaths are not newsworthy because they do not fit into the narrative of American exceptionalism.
The Black Experience: Living With Constant Racism
Living in America as a Black person means living in a state of constant alertness. Whether the racism is overt or systemic, it never goes away. It is a part of every interaction, every glance, every word. The microaggressions, the structural barriers, the constant dehumanization—it all adds up to a life lived in survival mode.
For many Black people, the only solution is to leave America entirely. I have personally chosen to move to Ghana, West Africa, where I can live free from the daily terror of being Black in America. While this may not be an option for everyone, it is a choice that more and more of us are considering. Because the truth is, America was never built for us—it was built on us.
Conclusion
The lynching of Javion McGee is a stark reminder that Black lives are still under siege in America. This country, which was built on the labor and suffering of Black people, continues to deny us justice, safety, and dignity. While the media may turn a blind eye, we must continue to tell our stories, to remember our history, and to demand accountability. Lynching is not a thing of the past—it is very much alive today. And until we confront this legacy of violence and terror, America will never truly be free.
