Dark memory: A look at lynching in America through the life, times, and songs of Woody Guthrie

Drawing upon the memory of a lynching photograph he saw as a youth, songwriter and political activist Woody Guthrie shaped his own views concerning this barbaric act into the art of his songs. Just as he was turned away from a racist tinged past by a community of politically charged artists and their work, the singer believed that his lyrics had the potential to change public perception on the emotionally charged issue of lynching.