| Abstract |
"Stanley Has a Lynching" examines the ways in which the media as well as religious, political, and social institutions have used ballads, fiction, and folklore tales for over a century to celebrate, rather than condemn, the brutal lynching. How men in a small town in North Carolina justified this act of murder as "Just Desert"--before, during and after the event--is exposed when facts, rather than fiction, are brought into focus. Through her research and analysis, Ms. Hartsell demonstrates how a family legacy was tainted by a fabricated folktale embedded in religious motif. Many newspaper accounts from the 1800s help tell the story, conveying aspects of southern history and lynch culture not often found in textbooks.--Publisher website. |
