Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, is drawing sharp criticism online for suggesting that lynchings of Black Americans are on the rise, echoing claims made by other progressive lawmakers. The controversy centers on a social media post by Brown, who stated, "In the last year, there’s been an alarming increase in Black Americans found dead hanging from trees. We know what that has meant throughout our history. That’s why I’ve joined [Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass.] to demand a federal investigation into possible lynchings."
Brown's statement and similar remarks by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., have been met with widespread debunking, as investigations into several recent cases of Black individuals found hanging from trees have concluded they were suicides. In one instance, police in Charlotte, North Carolina, determined a 16-year-old's death was a suicide. Similarly, the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Department reached the same conclusion for a 27-year-old in Florida. An investigation into a March death in Cobb County, Georgia, also concluded the man was alone and no foul play was suspected.
While Brown cited the historical context of lynching as a tool of terror against Black Americans, critics argue she is misrepresenting facts and