A rumoured letter known as the “Willie Lynch Letter” dates back to the 18th century and purports to be a speech given in 1712 by British slave master Willie Lynch. Lynch is accused of providing a plan in this contentious book for keeping enslaved people under control through fostering mistrust and strife among them. The letter describes how a hierarchical system of power is maintained by manipulating slaves by setting them against one another according to factors like age, skin colour, and skill level.
The Willie Lynch Letter has been crucial in discussions concerning the psychological repercussions of slavery and the long-term effects of systematic oppression on African American communities, even though historians have disagreed regarding its validity. Regardless of its veracity, the letter represents the dehumanising strategies used in the US during the enslavement era.