Join us for a free talk by historian Dr. Gianluca De Fazio on his latest book, “Lynching in Virginia: Racial Terror and Its Legacy.” Although not associated with lynching as often as other southern states, Virginia has a tragically extensive history with these horrific crimes. This consequential book examines the more than 100 people who were lynched in Virginia between 1866 and 1932. De Fazio and contributors recover the wider history of lynching in Virginia, interrogate its legacy, and spotlight contemporary efforts to commemorate the victims of racial terror across the Commonwealth. Together, their essays represent a significant contribution to the growing effort to come to terms with the role Virginia played in perpetuating America’s national shame. 

De Fazio is an associate professor in the Department of Justice Studies at James Madison University. His research interests include the study of political violence in Northern Ireland and lynching in the U.S. South. He is the director of two digital history projects: Racial Terror: Lynching in Virginia and Memorializing Racial Terror: Lynching Markers in the United States. 

To view the collection of Library of Virginia records that De Fazio and his students used to research the Racial Terror: Lynching in Virginia project, visit https://bit.ly/LVA-LRVCollection.

A book signing will follow the program. This is a free event, but registration is required. Seating in the Lecture Hall is available on a first come, first served basis. Limited free parking is available underneath the Library at 800 East Broad Street. For more information, contact education@lva.virginia.gov