Truth-Telling: Frances Willard and Ida B. Wells

Unspeakable Outrages

Here, "unspeakable outrages" and "atrocities worse than death" are euphemisms for rape. The implication is that white women and children are being victimized by black men. The rapes are "provoking" the "lawlessness" of lynching. Ida B. Wells's research had shown that in most cases of lynching, no charge of rape was even made, but this explanation and justification for lynchings persisted.

Contents of this annotation: