Blood Justice: The Lynching of Mack Charles Parker (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The road from Poplarville to Lumberton wound through broad pine groves that covered the rolling hills of southern Mississippi with a thick green shroud..." (more)
Key Phrases: lynching records, lynching investigation, mob members, Pearl River County, Sheriff Moody, June Walters (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In a study similar to James R. McGovern's Anatomy of a Lynching: the killing of Claude Neal ( LJ 5/1/82), Smead has written a vivid account of one of the last lynchings of a black man to occur in the United States, the beating and murder of Parker in Poplarville, Mississippi, in 1959. Based upon considerable research as well as numerous interviews with townspeople, including two members of the lynch mob, Smead's story draws several parallels between this murder and earlier lynchings, e.g., the situation involved the rape of a white woman by a black man, a mob storming the jail to remove the prisoner, detailed knowledge of the conspiracy both before and after the murder, and the fact that no individual member of the lynch mob was ultimately punished. An excellent account of intense white racism in a small Southern town; recommended for academic and large public libraries. Louis Vyhnanek, Washington State Univ. Lib., Pullman
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"An engaging study of a shocking crime. It will be a revelation to students reared in our own time with more enlightened views on race. I'm sure most students will find this book a real page-turner."--Daniel P. Murphy, Hanover College
"A brutal yet compelling document of a troubled time."--Booklist
"This meticulous account of an almost forgotten event fills a significant gap in the history of the civil rights era."--The Washington Post Book World
"An excellent account of intense white racism in a small Southern town."--Library Journal
"There have been many accounts of lynchings, but Howard Smead's ranks among the very best....Brilliantly told."--Bertram Wyatt-Brown, University of Florida
"Based on previously unreleased FBI and Justice Department documents, extensive interviews with those involved in the case and newspaper reports, Howard Smead objectively depicts the harrowing account of vigilante revenge and the failure of the authorities to effect justice."--Los Angeles Times Book Review
"Not only an important book, but one that is well written. It reads more like a fast-paced crime novel than a true story....Required reading for anyone seeking to know more about the unreconstructed South of the days prior to the Civil Rights movement."--Louisiana History
"Smead reconstructs the case with impressive thoroughness and objectivity, providing an intimate look at the dynamics of a Southern lynch mob. A terrible yet gripping story."--Publishers Weekly
"Gripping in detail, meticulous in research, fair in analysis....Blood Justice is the best book this reviewer has read in the genre of lynch histories."--Florida Historical Quarterly
"Smead sheds additional light on yet another chapter in the dark and turbulent history of the Magnolia state....This extremely readable book makes a valuable contribution to southern and black history."--Georgia Historical Quarterly

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (April 14, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195054296
• ISBN-13: 978-0195054293
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #893,667 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Too detailed and descriptive, May 16, 2008

By	Sean C. Odonnell - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This probably was this professor's dissertation for his Phd. because it reads like one. It starts out VERY good but then it draggggggggggggggggs on and on. And the rapist was never "lynched", he was shot and thrown in a river. He wasn't hung from a tree. Good read if you like liberal nonsense.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Exciting at the Beginning, January 11, 2006

By	LbugRage "LbugRage" (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This book captures you in the first chapter with a description of the actual crime. It does, however, get slow throughout the middle of the book when Smead goes into great detail of the facts. I think what really made me like this book is hearing Professor Smead talk about it during our history class. He's an amazing lecturer and leads a captivating discussion about the book, not to mention everything he lectures about. If anyone reading this attends the University of Maryland, Smead's history class is a STAPLE in the schools course offerings.

5.0 out of 5 stars a tough but good read, July 9, 2009

By	don_basilio - See all my reviews

This book is well researched and well written. It does an excellent job of chronicling the series of events that took place with vivid detail. Although the book does not read fast, it is still well worth taking the time to read.