They Called It a “Barbecue”: When White Mobs Made Black Death a Public Spectacle

In the shadows of American history—just past the chapters they skim over in school—lies a truth that is both grotesque and deliberate.

From the late 19th century through the early 20th, across small towns and city squares, white mobs didn’t just lynch Black people—they turned their deaths into events. They burned Black people alive. And they called it a “barbecue.”

That wasn’t slang. That was cold-blooded branding.

The word “barbecue” was used not to describe a summer cookout, but to publicly frame brutal, state-sanctioned murder as something festive. Something for the whole family. A crowd of white men, women—even children—would gather like it was a holiday. They’d laugh. Pose for pictures next to burning corpses. Eat snacks. Newspapers would publish details like it was entertainment. Postcards would be printed and mailed with the charred remains of Black men on full display—captioned with puns and local pride.

This wasn’t just violence. This was theater.
And Black suffering was the main act.

The use of the term “barbecue” wasn’t accidental or ironic. It was weaponized language—used to strip victims of their humanity and reinforce the message that Black lives were disposable. That our pain was amusing. That our deaths were worth watching.

In this twisted spectacle, lynchings became social events, and white supremacy showed up with a smile and a picnic basket. This was not fringe behavior—it was widely accepted, even celebrated in some parts of America.

So when we talk about anti-Black racism today, don’t let anyone gaslight you into thinking it’s “all in the past.” Because the past isn’t even past. Some folks still treat Black trauma like it’s entertainment. Still mock our pain. Still sanitize history.

The so-called “barbecues” of yesterday were America unmasked—and those flames lit up more than just the night sky. They exposed the depth of this country’s moral rot.

Let’s call it what it was: terrorism.
Let’s call it what it still is: a legacy that’s yet to be reckoned with.

Watch the Video: https://youtu.be/6qmqmNZGosY?si=qQ68ZgcXPvdAmSB6