A symbolic embodiment of racial violence and hatred, The Beast openly prowled the nation between the Civil War and the civil rights movement. The reasons it appeared varied, with psychological, political, and economic dynamics all playing a part, but the outcome was always brutal--if not deadly.
From the bombing of Harriette and Harry T. Moores home on Christmas Day to Willie James Howards murder, from the Rosewood massacre to the Newberry Six lynchings, Marvin Dunn offers an encyclopedic catalogue of The Beasts rampages in Florida. Instead of simply taking snapshots of incidents, Dunn provides context for a centurys worth of racial violence by examining communities over time. Crucial insights from interviews with descendants of both perpetrators and victims shape this study of Floridas grim racial history. Rather than pointing fingers and placing blame, The Beast in Florida allows voices and facts to speak for themselves, facilitating a conversation on the ways in which racial violence changed both black and white lives forever.With this comprehensive and balanced look at racially motivated events, Dunn reveals the Sunshine States too-often forgottenor intentionally hiddenpast. The result is a panorama of compelling human stories: its emergent dialogue challenges conceptions of what created and maintained The Beast.
