The Lynching

This book chronicles the trial(s) surrounding a horrible race-based killing of 19 year old Michael Donald that took place in Alabama in 1981 that ultimately took down the KKK. I listened to it and at times felt sick to my stomach, and just plain angry. And at times also just really grossed out as the attitude of some of the good ole Southern boys (men) involved reminded me a lot of our last president. Donald was abducted off of the street, beaten, had his throat slit, and ultimately hung from a tree. All because these klansmen were upset that a jury had been unable to reach a verdict in the trial of a Black man accused of murdering a white man. So you know, they retaliated by brutally killing a Black Man. One of the killers, Henry Hays, is sentenced to death (at the time a monumental decision – it was rare to sentence a white man to death for killing a Black man). But Morris Dees (the famous civil rights lawyer) wasn’t content to leave it there. He then filed a civil suit against the klan, charging them with conspiracy… and ultimately flattening the organization. The book was fascinating and dramatic. A little dry at times (as with, for me, most history books) but excellent and incredibly documented. I think it’s a very important book to read or listen to.