William Cowper Brann (1855–1898) was an American journalist who became widely recognized under the pen name "Brann the Iconoclast." Active during the late nineteenth century, Brann established a distinct reputation within the media landscape of his era. He was frequently characterized by contemporaries and historians as a brilliant yet highly vitriolic editorialist, known for his sharp and aggressive prose style.\n\nBrann's writings often touched on extreme and highly controversial social issues of his day. Notably, his editorials defended the practice of lynching Black men who were accused of rape. Furthermore, he took an aggressive stance against critics of this mob violence, going so far as to advocate for the castration of those who opposed such lynchings. His career and life came to an end in 1898.
