Worse Than Slavery
“Worse Than Slavery” by David M. Oshinsky, published by Free Press on April 22, 1997, is a detailed exploration of race and punishment in the American South, spanning from emancipation to the Civil Rights Era. This 320-page book delves into the history of Mississippi’s Parchman State Penitentiary, a facility notorious for its brutality and inhumanity. Oshinsky utilizes a variety of sources, including police records, prison documents, folklore, and oral histories, to present a comprehensive account of the prison’s legacy and its impact on both individuals and society.
Readers will find a thorough examination of the conditions within Parchman, which became emblematic of cruelty in the pre-Civil Rights South. The narrative highlights the experiences of those subjected to the prison system, including the use of chain gangs and the treatment of civil rights activists during the Freedom Rides. By weaving together historical accounts and cultural references, this edition provides insight into the broader themes of social justice and ethnic studies, making it a significant contribution to the understanding of American history and the complexities surrounding race relations in the United States.
Official synopsis Publisher
In this sensitively told tale of suffering, brutality, and inhumanity, Worse Than Slavery is an epic history of race and punishment in the deepest South from emancipation to the Civil Rights Era—and beyond.
Immortalized in blues songs and movies like Cool Hand Luke and The Defiant Ones, Mississippi’s infamous Parchman State Penitentiary was, in the pre-civil rights south, synonymous with cruelty. Now, noted historian David Oshinsky gives us the true story of the notorious prison, drawing on police records, prison documents, folklore, blues songs, and oral history, from the days of cotton-field chain gangs to the 1960s, when Parchman was used to break the wills of civil rights workers who journeyed south on Freedom Rides.
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