Willie Lynch Pronunciation: /ˈwɪl.i lɪntʃ ˈlɛt.ər/ (WILL-ee LINCH LET-er) Part of Speech: Noun
Willie Lynch (Letter, Mentality, Syndrome) (The Making of a Slave)
Definition: A widely circulated but historically debunked document, allegedly a 1712 speech by slave owner Willie Lynch, describing methods to control enslaved Black people by sowing division. The letter’s tactics included pitting individuals against each other based on age, skin color, gender, status, and other differences to maintain control and prevent unity.
Although proven a hoax, the term “Willie Lynch” is still used to reference strategies of divide-and-conquer and the mentality of internalized oppression within Black communities.
Example: Discussions of colorism and generational conflict in the Black community are sometimes described as evidence of the “Willie Lynch mentality.”