In March, the then-Deputy Press Secretary to the Pentagon, Kingsley Wilson, posted antisemitic conspiracy theories regarding Georgia’s infamous Leo Frank Case on social media.
The outcry was swift and vocal, but, despite the uproar, Wilson was promoted to Press Secretary in May.
Despite having taken place over a century ago, the Frank case and its consequences continue to reverberate today – not only in the (now) Press Secretary’s comments, but in art and the public consciousness: Parade, the musical about the Frank case, won a Tony Award in 2023, and the Ku Klux Klan maintains an active online disinformation campaign dedicated to Frank’s guilt.
Atlanta’s Breman Museum & Cultural Center, in partnership with the Atlanta History Center, is exploring the case’s ongoing impact with its program, “Legacy of a Lynching: Why the Leo Frank Case is Still Relevant Today.”
Thursday, July 10 at 7 p.m., visitors to the Atlanta History Center will hear from special panel guests including former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes, Award-Winning Author and Breman Archivist Sandy Berman, Author Steve Oney, who penned And the Dead Shall Rise: The Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank, and Professor/Chair of Emory University’s Film Studies Department Matthew H. Bernstein, who wrote Screening a Lynching: The Leo Frank Case on Film and Television.
The panel discussion will be moderated by WABE’s iconic (and recently retired) voice: Lois Reitzes, of City Lights and Second Cup Concert fame.
For the unfamiliar: In 1913, Frank, a Jewish factory manager in Atlanta, was accused and convicted of the murder of Mary Phagan, a 13-year-old girl who worked in the factory.
Frank’s trial – deeply influenced by public opinion, prejudice, and unreliable testimony – led to a controversial conviction that made nation-wide headlines.
When additional, potentially exonerative evidence came out after the trial, then-Georgia Governor John M. Slaton commuted Frank’s death sentence to life in prison, allowing time for Frank to seek appeals.
Enraged by this decision and convinced of Frank’s guilt, a mob, which included some of Georgia’s most prominent citizens, kidnapped and lynched Frank in 1915.
Today, historians are almost unanimous in their opinion that Frank was innocent, but the State of Georgia has yet to issue Frank an official exoneration.
This case remains one of the most infamous lynchings in U.S. history, highlighting critical issues of racial and religious violence and the failures of legal protection.
Guest panelists will discuss the aftermath of the case and lynching. Following the panel, Oney and Bernstein will hold a book signing for their respective works.
Tickets are required for the event, which is free. Suggested donation price in $12 per person.
Erin Greer
Erin Greer is an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in digital, print, and television mediums across many publications. She served as managing editor for two national publications with focuses on municipal governments. She resides in Columbus.
