Lynching is a form of violence that has been used to oppress people for centuries. It is a form of extrajudicial punishment, often carried out by mobs, that has been used to target people of color, particularly African Americans. The history of lynching in the United States dates back to the early 1800s, when white mobs would target African Americans for a variety of perceived offenses. The practice of lynching was especially prevalent in the South during the Reconstruction era, when African Americans were seen as a threat to white supremacy. During this period, thousands of African Americans were lynched in the United States, often without any legal recourse.

The civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s brought attention to the issue of lynching and the need for reform. In 1968, the federal government passed the Civil Rights Act, which made lynching a federal crime. Despite this, lynching continued to occur in the United States, particularly in the South. In the 1980s and 1990s, there were several high-profile cases of lynching, including the dragging death of James Byrd Jr. in Texas in 1998.

Today, lynching is still a problem in the United States. Although it is no longer legal, it is still used as a form of intimidation and violence against people of color. The legacy of lynching continues to haunt the African American community, and there is still much work to be done to ensure that this form of violence is eradicated.