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CHAPTER 10
Intertwinings: The Black Freedom Movement, White
Progressives, and Radical Movements, Late 1933-1934
On October 18, 1933, George Armwood, a 28-year old Black laborer, was
lynched by a white mob on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Armwood's murder was
met with outrage in Baltimore's Black community. The extent of this outrage was
symbolized by Donald Smith's bitter parody on Maryland's state anthem, "Lynching,
That's Maryland" published in the Afro:
They lynched a man on Easter Shore,
Lynchland, that's Maryland
That's twice, they did it once before
Lynchland, that's Maryland
The beat and strung up the poor frail,
Five thousand strong they stormed the jail,
Where law has crumbled, died and failed
Lynchland, that's Maryland.
In Jungles down on Eastern Shore
Lynchland, that's Maryland
Where police can use guns no more
Lynchland, that's Maryland
It's plain to see how brave they were,
One man against five thousand curs.
Such low bread skunks they can't raise fur
Lynchland, that's Maryland.
Now [Governor] Ritchie will investigate
Lynchland, that's Maryland.
To save the honor of the state
He could not move to save a life,
Nor call out troops to stop the strife.
He'd rather talk about states rights
Lynchland, that's Maryland.
Our race must now retaliate
Lynchland, that's Maryland.
And teach our children they should hate
Lynchland, that's Maryland.
If they must lynch, let us lynch too
And burn our victims as they do
We'll give the state the name its due
Lynchland, that's Maryland.
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