I could include an image of a lynching here but I think we have been confronted by those images often enough. Some of us are deeply saddened and embarrased by these images of the way in which whites have treated others in the past. Others it seems do not experience similar feelings.

It took the government of America a long time to outlaw lynchings, over 300 bills before parliament. Never-the-less it is now banned but what do you do if you are a community that embraced lynchings. Well it seems you simply exploit the justice system to carry on the practice. Researchers at Ohio State university found that the number of death sentences for all criminals – Black and white – were higher in states with a history of lynchings. But the link was even stronger when only Black death sentences were analyzed.

David Jacobs, an author of the study says

Our results suggest that the death penalty has become a sort of legal replacement for the lynchings in the past. This hasn't been done overtly, and probably no one has consciously made such a decision. But the results show a clear connection.

Interestingly in states with a growing black population, the increase in the number of death sentences tracked the increasing black population. Of course the USA is very conscious that it is not seen as racist and this has resulted in a perverse situation where the number of whites sentenced to death also increases with the increase in the black population.

There is an upper limit on this trend. When the percentage of blacks reaches 20% the number of death sentences starts to decrease. Dr Dave suggests that this is because at this level blacks have enough votes and political influence within states to reduce the number of death sentences.

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