Commentary: I wrote a Black true crime book 20 years ago. Why is the genre still so white?
Before true crime had its recent resurgence in American popular culture, I began investigating the murder of Lance Herndon, a Black man. In the spring of 2001, I was working as a magazine writer in New York City when some 900 miles south in Atlanta, an explosive murder trial made headlines. The case was riveting: A high-rolling, 41-year-old tech entrepreneur was found nude and bludgeoned to ...
Before true crime had its recent resurgence in American popular culture, I began investigating the murder of Lance Herndon, a Black man.
In the spring of 2001, I was working as a magazine writer in New York City when some 900 miles south in Atlanta, an explosive murder trial made headlines. The case was riveting: A high-rolling, 41-year-old tech entrepreneur was found nude and bludgeoned to death in his mansion. The suspects included a slew of spurned mistresses and business rivals.
I caught a flight to Atlanta and— showed me what has and hasn’t changed for the genre.
