The Lyncher in Me
Minnesota Historical Society Press, February 2018
Borealis Books, March 2008
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The Lyncher in Me
Minnesota Historical Society Press, February 2018
Borealis Books, March 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."
Praise
"A compelling tapestry . . . a truly important American Story." —Rebecca Walker, author of the New York Times bestsellers Black, White and Jewish and Baby Love
"an unflinching memoir . . . one of redemption, optimism and joy." —Dinesh Ramde, Associated Press
"Like Craig Lesley in Burning Fence before him, Warren Read dares to confront the truths about our families that shape who we are, for good and ill. Read does the bravest thing of all – he shows compassion for these people and for himself." —Kathleen Alcalá, author of The Desert Remembers My Name
"Of the many thousand descendents of the perpetrators who lynched African Americans with impunity for decades, only a handful have gone public with their stained family legacies. None have done so with more telling effect than Warren Read." —Rich Rusk, author (with Dean Rusk) of As I Saw It
"A riveting memoir that takes us beyond the Duluth tragedies to the triumph of a life passionately and artfully lived." —Michael Fedo, author of The Lynchings in Duluth
"Skillfully weaves autobiography, history and reflection to pull the reader into both his family's story and America's ongoing struggle with our history of lynching." —James H. Madison, author of A Lynching in the Heartland: Race and Memory in America
"More than just a story about our nation's all-too-recent history of racial violence, The Lyncher in Me unravels a family's darkest secrets in an account that will linger with readers long after the last page. Surprising, timely, no holes barred." —Ken Olsen, author (with Vernon J. Baker) of Lasting Valor
"(Read) presents the facts of his personal life and the back story of the Duluth lynching with unflinching honesty and a great deal of effective, poignant writing on a subject that Minnesotans, try as they might, can’t seem to forget." —Minneapolis / St. Paul Magazine