Repetitions of Violence: Local Patterns of Racial Violence in the American South

• In Event: Historical Inequality and Current Day Political Engagement

Abstract

In recent years, considerable scholarly attention has been placed on the ongoing historical problem of racial violence in the United States. Two major approaches to studying racial violence are statistical analyses of state or national level patterns of racial violence and in-depth case studies of high-profile violent events. In this project, I combine elements of both approaches, employing archival research and process tracing to examine broader patterns of violence surrounding four high-profile cases of racial violence in the American South between 1920 and 2020. These cases include police-related violence, terrorism, vigilante violence, and racially-motivated large-scale violence. Using multiple independently-preserved, parallel archives, I have collected county-level data on violence from locations in Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Tennessee. This data is more detailed and extensive than nationally collected statistical analyses, allowing me to assess several hypotheses regarding the trends in racial violence in these communities over time. These details also uncover patterns and narratives of violence surrounding historically-important, but singular, cases. This project will methodologically and analytically advance the academic study of racial violence, as well as contribute to the broader discussion of this issue in American politics.

Author

• Jeremy Matthew Berkowitz, Prairie View A&M University