Racial Terrorism in the Postwar South | By Parties Unknown

By Parties Unknown is a documentary that unravels the events surrounding the violent lynching of four Black men in Russellville, Kentucky, in 1908.

In this lesson, students will view clips from the film and answer the questions that are assigned to those individual clips. These clips are intended to guide students through the events leading up to, and following, the lynching of John Boyer, Joe Riley, John Jones and Virgil Jones, as well as the cultural atmosphere that embraced the spectacle of mob violence. The questions that accompany the clips are intended to open up a discussion as the class investigates these murders.

Students will follow up this investigation by completing one of two extension projects. Project selection can be assigned by the teacher or selected by the student to allow for greater student choice.

Time Needed: 2-5 class periods