Vardaman was one of many Americans who despised the New Negro phenomenon. Known as the “Great White Chief,” the pro-murder white supremacist rose to national prominence on a populist stance that included his position that “if it is necessary, every Negro in the state will be lynched; it will be done to maintain white supremacy.”11 When Vardaman ran for Mississippi’s Senate seat in 1912, his “redneck” followers wore “bloodstained” neckerchiefs.
