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It’s Monday, and the news over the weekend was dominated by the horrifying violence in New Zealand.

The massacre at two mosques — in which at least 50 people were killed, apparently by a white nationalist who posted a racist manifesto online — was the latest somber reminder that violence against specific religious or ethnic communities has been persistent throughout history, though it takes different forms.

Recently, my colleague Simon Romero wrote about new efforts to remember the lynchings of people of Mexican descent throughout the American West. In doing so, advocates say, we may be able to better avoid repeating them. He wrote about such killings that took place in California:

An Anglo mob in Bakersfield went on a killing spree in 1877. Their victims: five men of Mexican descent.

About 100 men, some wielding axes, broke into the county courthouse and overpowered the jailer. In their rampage they snatched the men from the jail, held an impromptu trial with mob members as jurors, declared them guilty of horse theft and hanged them on the courthouse lawn.