The Cross and the Lynching Tree

I just recently read a book titled The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James Cone. Before this, I read a book by a Japanese theology researcher who went to Union Theological Seminary in NYC, a leading theology school in the world. The Japanese author wrote about his interactions with Mr. Cone, and I was intrigued by it as a person who loves music created in the African American community.

Mr. Cone's assertion is simple: crucifixion was a death penalty invented in the Roman Empire to warn the general public that they would face the same fate if they transgressed. The lynching tree on which White people hanged Black people to death had a similar effect. It was a warning to African Americans to obey the rules. Christianity was born when Jesus was hanged on the cross for the sins of humanity, and similarly, he argued, lynched Black people were hanged on trees due to the sins of humanity (in this case, the oppressive White people). Their deaths were, in a sense, sacrifices for humanity. This argument had the power to raise the morale of African Americans who needed to persevere through all the fear, threat, and discrimination—though unfortunately, even today these things exist.

Mr. Cone also wrote about how Blues and other music were born. Blues came from the resilience of African Americans who could still laugh or joke about the discrimination they faced. I know this resilience shouldn't be romanticized too much given the severe violence against them. Without Blues, Jazz and many other forms of popular music wouldn't be what they are today.

As someone who loves and plays Jazz, funk and R&B, I was quite ashamed of my ignorance about the background in which those songs were born. Though I know that music should be, to a certain extent, free from its origins, I should have studied this history earlier to better appreciate the works of Black musicians.