Nico Carbonaro

LYNCHING IN AMERICA

Interactive Documentary & Impact Campaign

In partnership with Bryan Stevenson's Equal Justice Initiative, Lynching in America is an immersive oral history project that gives voice to the descendants of lynching victims and draws the connection to modern day capital punishment.

“They went from the tree, to the electric chair. From the electric chair to the gurney. They took off the white robes, and put on the black robes.” ANTHONY RAY HINTON

“They went from the tree, to the electric chair. From the electric chair to the gurney. They took off the white robes, and put on the black robes.”

ANTHONY RAY HINTON

The Equal Justice Initiative’s extensive research into the lynchings of over 4,000 African Americans served as the cornerstone of the multidisciplinary storytelling initiative, spanning interactive data visualization, podcasts, photo essays, a short documentary, a book and a series of ongoing educational initiatives.

Photographers Andre Wagner, Melissa Bunny Elian, Kris Graves, Raymond Thompson, Rog Walker, and Bee Walker teamed up with interviewer and writer Allison Davis to bring to life the stories of the generations affected by lynching as both a book and a

Photographers Andre Wagner, Melissa Bunny Elian, Kris Graves, Raymond Thompson, Rog Walker, and Bee Walker teamed up with interviewer and writer Allison Davis to bring to life the stories of the generations affected by lynching as both a book and a collection of audio driven photo essays.

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“We haven’t done anything to acknowledge that it is American History,. And for us to recover from that violence, from that terrorism, we all have to know it, and we have to talk about it.” BRYAN STEVENSON, EJI

“We haven’t done anything to acknowledge that it is American History,. And for us to recover from that violence, from that terrorism, we all have to know it, and we have to talk about it.”

BRYAN STEVENSON, EJI

A short documentary told the story of one family’s journey back to the south, 100 years after the lynching of their great grandfather.

A short documentary told the story of one family’s journey back to the south, 100 years after the lynching of their great grandfather.

Interactive data visualizations helped the public understand the scale of this tragedy, both online and in museum exhibitions at Brooklyn Museum and The Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama.

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Andra Day’s reimagining of the Billie Holiday anti-lynching classic, Strange Fruit, helped extend awareness of the project into popular culture, paired with a press push and features on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.

Andra Day’s reimagining of the Billie Holiday anti-lynching classic, Strange Fruit, helped extend awareness of the project into popular culture, paired with a press push and features on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.

Perhaps the most gratifying part of this project is the comprehensive curriculum created to bring this history and these stories into classrooms across the country.

Perhaps the most gratifying part of this project is the comprehensive curriculum created to bring this history and these stories into classrooms across the country.

Recognition Cannes Lions — Bronze (Digital Craft) New York Times — A Lynching Memorial Is Opening. The Country Has Never Seen Anything Like It New York Times — A Memorial to the Lingering Horror of Lynching Washington Post — It’s Time for These C

Recognition

Cannes Lions — Bronze (Digital Craft)
New York Times — A Lynching Memorial Is Opening. The Country Has Never Seen Anything Like It
New York Times — A Memorial to the Lingering Horror of Lynching
Washington Post — It’s Time for These Counties to Reclaim Their Grisly History of Lynching
Brooklyn Museum — The Legacy of Lynching: Confronting Racial Terror in AmericaLegacy Museum — Permanent Collection
Webbys — Winner (Webby for Good); People's Voice (Advertising, Media & PR: Best Cause Related Campaign)
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah — Featured

Project Credits

Creative Director & Showrunner: Nico Carbonaro & Rebecca Sills
Executive Producer: Eloise Harper Connolly
Agency: Google Brand Studio
Interactive: Stink Digital