Documentary
United States of America
The documentary Lynching Postcards: ‘Token of a Great Day’ uncovers the disturbing reality of lynchings as cultural events that were celebrated and memorialized through the production and exchange of postcards and souvenirs. The film explores the history of lynching as a form of racial violence in the United States, tracing the origins of this violent practice to the Reconstruction Era and following its growth and spread throughout the country.
Using archival footage, interviews with historians, and testimonies from descendants of lynching victims, the film reveals how these violent acts were frequently treated as public spectacles, with thousands of people coming together to witness and participate in the killings. The postcards and other souvenirs that were produced by photographers and entrepreneurs at these lynchings served as evidence of the event and as mementos for those who attended.
The film also examines the legacy of lynching in contemporary American society, noting how the trauma of this violence continues to reverberate through generations of African American families and communities. Through its powerful visual storytelling and illuminating historical research, Lynching Postcards: ‘Token of a Great Day’ offers a sobering and necessary examination of this dark chapter in American history.
