Why I Called the Murder of Richard Collins III a Lynching

Earlier this week, I wrote a piece about the racist murder of Richard Collins III on the campus of the University of Maryland by UMD student and white supremacist Sean Urbanski. It was titled “A Lynching on the University of Maryland Campus.” The feedback was overwhelming. People expressed anger, sadness, and a strong desire to fight the racist right. In addition, a small group of people took issue with my use the word “lynching.” This piece is an attempt to address those concerns, and argue that it is important both definitionally and politically that we call what happened to Richard Collins III what it is: a lynching.

First and foremost, it’s a misconception that lynching requires a rope. Lynching is defined as an extrajudicial murder with the intent of promoting terror. The most harrowing and well-known example of this is the killing of 15-year-old Emmett Till, who in 1955 was beaten…READ MORE