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Can a white man talk about the Black experience?
During a talk at Germanna Community College in February, a student asked me a question I have long considered. She wanted to know if I as a white man had the standing to talk about the prejudice experienced by Black people. I answered, yes, I believe I do. I realize that as a white man…
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New book on the way
It’s been nearly five years since I first heard from Kirk Goolsby, a resident of Warrenton, Va. Kirk invited me to meet him at the Warrenton Cemetery to see what he believed was the tree from which Arthur Jordan was lynched. I accepted Kirk’s invitation, and now I trace a direct line from that visit…
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Does anyone know a good recipe for crow?
Last month I predicted in this blog that the Virginia General Assembly would reject a proposed lynching resolution. Today I’m trying to decide on the best way to cook crow. Members of the state Senate passed the resolution on Wednesday, and those in the House passed it yesterday. Both votes were unanimous. I was also…
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Is Virginia ready to apologize for lynching?
I applaud the efforts of Sen. Jennifer L. McClellan and others to pass a lynching resolution in this year’s General Assembly, but I’m not optimistic about their chances. McClellan, a Democrat, represents portions of the Richmond area in the Virginia Senate. She is also chair of the state’s Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Commission and…
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Have thumb drive, will travel
I expected to promote The Last Lynching in Northern Virginia after publication, but I didn’t realize that promotion would take the form that it has. I thought I would go to signings, sit behind a table, and talk to those who wanted to buy the book. I’ve done that and enjoy it very much. But I’m…
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A story of persistence is supposed to end this way
David Sam asked an interesting question last week: Is it persistence or delusion that compels a person to write a book and work tirelessly to get it published? I would answer persistence, and Sam would too. Persistence paid off for him. Sam is president of Germanna Community College, in the Fredericksburg area, and a published…
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How I published my book, in three easy steps
A University of Mary Washington student wrote me recently to say that he wouldn’t be able to attend the program that Germanna Community College is sponsoring next month on getting your first book published. Germanna invited me to be part of the program, and the student asked, “Could you lend me some of your advice…
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Every author needs a Facebook page
First came the writing, then the production, and finally the marketing. To help me market The Last Lynching in Northern Virginia, I hired Christina Dill, who created this website, and Susan Larson, a Facebook expert. Susan is the publisher of Fredericksburg Today, an online news site, and teaches social media at Germanna Community College. With…
Author & Lecturer
Jim Hall 