However, lynching is not just a United States phenomenon. In Brazil, people of African descent faced similar experiences historically and now endure similar realities today. While lichamentos (lynchings) are not deemed by the state crimes, they are most certainly racialized and even gendered actions connected to the ideals of vigilante violence or popular justice. Most victims are accused of petty crimes and beaten or killed for offenses they may or may not have committed. Read more at Black Perspectives.