Jeff's Research - I don't want to lose it and it should be shared

We can certainly talk about this if you'd like,
or if you prefer email, that's fine too. And don't feel obligated to
respond at all; I'm just throwing this all out there.

The more and more I go through Lemkin's papers, the more little tid-bits I
find on African Americans. I find it very interesting, and a bit
perplexing (considering Lemkin's very adamant statements against the
claims made in "We Charge Genocide"), that he sporadically uses the
African American case to illustrate certain points in his "Introduction to
the Study of Genocide" manuscript at the NYPL (reel 3, box 2, folder 3).

For instance, in his draft chapter on "The Concept of Genocide in Social
and Individual Psychology," while discussing the rationalization of mass
mobs, he says "witness the usual appeal of Negro lynching parties to the
protection of white womanhood." Speaking of "Genocide in Economics," he
writes: "Lynching of Negroes in the American South has been correlated
with business fluctuations and race-riots in the North have similarly been
analyzed." And in his essay, "The Concept of Genocide in Sociology," he
calls the "Blackbelt in the American South" a "potential trouble spot."
(All of these are in the aforementioned reel, box, and folder at the NYPL.
For help with the citations, please don't hesitate to ask.)

Also, I have something else that I think is very interesting. In his
research notes for Native Americans, he has a section on Indian slavery by
the colonizers. The following excerpt is from this citation (Notecard 3,
"Research Index Cards - Indian Slavery in Colonial Times within the
Present Limits of the United States" (undated), Raphael Lemkin Collection,
Manuscript Collection P-154, American Jewish Historical Society at the
Center for Jewish History, New York City, New York, Box 9, Folder 11):

"The system of physical bondage known as slavery is both cultural and
physical genocide.

"Physical genocide: The slave is often separated from his family and
unable to perpetuate his group (his offspring is the property of his
master, and not rarely fathered by him). The slave is physically so abused
as to render him at best a poor parent (Indian mothers could not nurse
their babies, etc.) and at worst a victim of physical genocide by death.

"Cultural genocide: Again the frequent separation of families in slavery
means the break-up of a culture. The slave is not only the physical
property of his master but his spiritual property as also. The master
controls his activities and the education (if any) of his offspring. He
may actually prevent the salve from maintaining even the rudiments of any
culture making him work all his waking hours (Spanish colonists prevented
Indian from going to church since this was a waste of time).

"In fact, *slavery may be called cultural genocide par excellence* [Note:
the asterisks are meant to indicate original emphasis; this was underlined
in Lemkin's notes]. It is the most effective and thorough method of
destroying a culture, and of de-socializing human beings. By
de-socializing is meant the increasing dependency and intimidation of the
human under conditions of slavery so that he gradually becomes inseparable
of anything but the most rudimentary types of behavior (such as hard phys.
work under pressure and the satisfaction of the basic wants which are
usually provided, if badly, by the master)."

This is a pretty remarkable excerpt, and even though he's referring to
Native Americans, I think it speaks equally as well for African Americans.

I hope some of this is helpful.