Talk:Lynching

Wiki Education assignment: Historic Site Interpretation

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 10 January 2022 and 8 May 2022. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Peyt775, Apollo4682 (article contribs).

Leading image

Whilst I understand Wikipedia does not censor, and that lynching itself plus its history is henous and disturbing, the fact that an image of a hanged black man (whos face can be seen, but is unnamed) pops up even when just scrolling over the link for 'lynching' frankly puts a very sour taste in my mouth. I feel these kinds of images, whilst historically important, should be kept further down the article, not least so if someone not familiar with the term hovers for a definition or an introduction, such as younger people researching US history or racism in the USA for the first time they don't see surprise snuff.

Pop-up previews for other potentially 'unsavoury' or 'offensive' articles, such as those relating to sexual acts (cunnilingus, sexual intercourse) have artistic depictions, as do other forms of execution/killing like murder, massacre, hanging, stoning, death by burning and even articles on similar violent hatecrimes like pogrom doesn't show a large image of dead Jews; other crimes against the person are depicted with statistical maps on the pop-ups such as rape. The only exception I've found is electrocution which shows a man with a covered face and with no obvious signs of being dead nor alive or in explicit pain (although he's obviously not comfortable, but thats only implied with knowledge of the apparatus). Other articles from List of methods of capital punishment don't show pop-up images and the lead images on the article's page is usually historical art or images of the apparatus used.

I propose this image is replaced with either: an illustration of these acts of violence, an image or depiction of a lynching before the actual hanging occurs, an abstract representation such as a map of lynchings per US state or an empty noose on a tree (or simply removing the covering image).

If the image is not replaced, I at least request that it doesn't show up when you hover over the links on other articles.

The images on Lynching in the United States are frankly more disturbing and I feel the same way as above, but at least that article is only likely to linked after this general article so one may know what to expect, plus the images have specific historical context, names and locations, unlike this one. Jackass cooper (talk) 15:59, 9 June 2023 (UTC)

Per MOS:SHOCK, "Lead images should be of least shock value; an alternative image that accurately represents the topic without shock value should always be preferred." If we can find a less shocking image that still represents the topic well, I'd support it. Firefangledfeathers (talk / contribs) 16:11, 9 June 2023 (UTC)

I agree with both of the above. GranChi (talk) 18:11, 3 September 2024 (UTC)

Recent issues

With evolving changes of racial dynamics and specific examples, more attention could be paid to particular lynching cases in areas with a higher immigrant population and where other minorities experience similar difficulties. ~~~~

Ananyaa sv (talk) 23:55, 1 October 2024 (UTC)

Why the extreme focus on America when lynchings have historical context far before America existed?

I don’t understand the extreme focus on the US for this (and so many other) topic. 2605:59C8:6297:5C10:4C9E:8054:3DFB:FCC9 (talk) 17:16, 9 November 2024 (UTC)

If you want to add information from relevent sources you are welcome to. Horse Eye's Back (talk) 17:21, 9 November 2024 (UTC)