Found Hanging
A living map and research record of reported cases of Black people found hanging in the United States.
Current state Public StoryMap
The idea
A reported death can become a brief news story, a disputed explanation, and then something difficult to find again. I wanted a way to keep the people, the public record, and the unanswered questions visible over time.
Why it exists
Individual reports are scattered across places, dates, and sources. Reading them together requires a record that can be updated without flattening every case into the same conclusion.
Found Hanging documents reported cases of Black people found hanging in the United States. It is a living research record, not a count of every case. Official findings, attributed disagreements, and unresolved facts need to remain distinguishable.
What I’m building
A public StoryMap with case mapping, source links, narrative context, and a record of material updates. You may also know the project as the Funky Fruit Map; that alternate name helps people recognize and find the work when platforms restrict its subject matter.
The map lets someone explore individual records. The surrounding research asks what becomes visible when those records can be read together.
Where it stands
Active research and development. The public StoryMap is the starting point for the current record. Work on broader analysis continues, including how to interpret surveillance-infrastructure data responsibly.
An item’s presence on a map does not establish a cause of death, a connection between cases, or the existence of a recording. Claims need evidence at the level of the individual case.
Explore the record
Explore Found Hanging — The Funky Fruit Map
The StoryMap discusses death and racial violence and includes historical imagery. You can begin with the written context before exploring the cases.
Include the source link and the case it concerns. A submitted lead needs review before it becomes part of the public record.