Cornelius Christian, University of Oxford

Cornelius Christian, PhD Candidate, University of Oxford, will present a seminar.

Title: "Lynchings, Labour, and Cotton in the US South"

Abstract: Violence against ethnic minorities has been pervasive throughout history, and is therefore an important topic of inquiry. I study lynchings of African Americans in the US South from 1882 to 1930, and show that cotton price shocks predict lynchings. Lynchings also predict more black out-migration from 1920 to 1930, and higher state-level wages. Using a simple model, I show that this is consistent with lynchings having labour market effects that benefitted whites: lynchings cause blacks to migrate away, lowering labour supply and increasing wages for white labourers. I then turn to the long-term effects of lynchings. I show that Mississippi counties with more violence during a 1964 Civil Rights campaign also had more lynchings during the earlier period. Finally, lynchings persist in labour market outcomes: present-day results show that lynchings predict higher black-white worker, family, and household income gaps.

Location: Arts 214

Time: 4:00 pm

This is part of the Department of Economics Seminar Series.