Lyncher In Me

A Search for Redemption in the Face of History

Warren Read

Publication Year: 2008

In June 1920, in Duluth, Minnesota, a mob of over 10,000 convened upon the police station, inflamed by the rumor that black circus workers had raped a white teenage girl—charges that would later be proven false. Three men were dragged from their cells and lynched in front of the cheering crowd. More than eighty years later, Warren Read—a fourth-grade teacher, devoted partner, and father to three boys—plugged his mother’s maiden name into a computer search engine, then clicked on a link to a newspaper article that would forever alter his understanding of himself. Louis Dondino, his beloved great-grandfather, had incited the deadly riot on that dark summer night decades before. In his poignant memoir, Read explores the perspectives of both the victims and the perpetrators of this heinous crime. He investigates the impact—the denial and anger—that the long-held secrets had on his family. Through this examination of the generations affected by one horrific night, he discovers we must each take responsibility for “our deep-seated fears that lead us to emotional, social, or physical violence.”

Published by: Minnesota Historical Society Press

Contents
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Book Details

Two men are back to back, their bodies slightly touching just at the elbows. A thick wooden pole stands between them, beginning just behind their heels and rising up above their heads, disappearing from the frame of the postcard. Bare skin, arms restrained by their own torn shirts, they are the centerpiece of a gratuitous, macabre...

TWO [Includes Image Plates]

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pp. 39-140

The number of people coming to West Duluth from the outlying neighborhoods had been unusual that night. The number of passengers crowding onto the streetcars always rose and fell throughout the day; weekend nights could be especially busy when there was a good show playing at either the Orpheum or Lyceum theaters. But...

THREE

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pp. 141-196

What makes a victim? What moves a person from his identity as a human being to an object of hatred and violence? Throughout this journey, I’d asked myself the question over and over again, as it related not just to those at the lynching that infamous night, but to men and women today. What was it that led two young men to...

Acknowledgments

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pp. 197-

There are so many people without whose support this book would never have reached completion. First and foremost, my sincere thanks to my partner Shayne, whose willingness to take on my share of parenting responsibilities, be my worst critic and best supporter kept me going at moments when I was ready to settle for less than my best. Also, much...

References

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pp. 199-

E-ISBN-13: 9780873516839
E-ISBN-10: 0873516834
Print-ISBN-13: 9780873516075
Print-ISBN-10: 0873516079

Page Count: 208
Illustrations: 10 b&w photos
Publication Year: 2008

Edition: 1