The lawlessness of law: lynching and anti-lynching in the contemporary USA

This article examines the mutually constitutive nature of mob rule and rule of law, arguing that American histories of lynching indicate it has been a form of state-sanctioned violence rather than a result of 'lawlessness.' The article furthermore argues that pro-lynching discourses remain ubiquitous in contemporary US culture, despite ostensible rejection of the practice. The persistence of pro-lynching ideologies and 'modern-day lynchings' indicates the ongoing need for anti-lynching movements; but, my analysis suggests these movements will be most successful when they critique the rule of law rather than idealize it.