Lynching of Jesse Washington

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I've been working on this page for about a month, and I've just about finished what I can find of reliable sources. The article is currently a GA, and I hope to go for FA soon. I'd appreciate a detailed look at prose, structure, and wording. Also, if you could watch for language that is too journalistic/emotive it would be appreciated. Not a fun article to read, but a sobering look at a sad chapter in American history. Note: contains graphic content, discretion advised. Mark Arsten (talk) 01:38, 10 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Comments by Wehwalt

Very nice, don't have much to quibble about.

Lede
  • I would split the first paragraph before "Washington was tried".
  • "in what became a well-known example of such attacks owing to its brutality and the publicity it received" This seems to get just a bit lost en route.
  • Both here and in "Trial", it says that Washington was sentenced to capital punishment. This reads a a bit oddly. Was a form of execution prescribed or expected to be used? If so, it might be wise to specify it.
  • ", owing to its demonstration of government-sanctioned violence" Suggest omit, the decision to speak out against such an event needs no explanation to a modern audience. The earlier part of the sentence can be combined with the previous one.
Background
  • "notably including" I really don't think "notably" is necessary here. You might want to take a second look at how often you use that phrase or similar ones.
  • "religiosity". Hm maybe "piety"?
  • " Many African Americans left the Waco area in the early 20th century, partially owing to racial violence." This seems mildly contradictory to what was said earlier in the paragraph.
Murder and arrest
  • " their community" I would say "the community".
  • "claimed to find a bloody hammer" "Claimed" may be too skeptical a word, given that the only contrary text I see is a footnote.
  • "he may have been mentally handicapped" This should probably be inline citated to whoever is so guessing.
  • "published a similar notice" Similar to?
  • "The jury was then dismissed." Perhaps "sent to deliberate"?
NAACP investigation
  • " call for investment in the anti-lynching movement" I'd suggest not using "investment".
  • "a campaign that led to wide condemnation" Of the NAACP or the lynching?
  • "Washington's death received continued discussion, Oswald Garrison Villard wrote in a later edition" The first part of this reads oddly; the second needs clarification on whether the edition referred to is of The Crisis.
Analysis
  • "empower lynch mobs but increase society's condemnation of their actions." This needs, perhaps and "also" after the but.
  • " English practice" Perhaps toss a "medieval" on the front of this.
Crisco 1492 comments