Jordan,

Thanks. The dynamic you describe makes sense. But that’s far different from the claim the author made:

“ Lynching was as likely to befall successful black businessmen as any falsely accused rapist of white women; riots as likely to be aimed at destroying successful black neighborhoods as any rumors of violence against whites.”

The author is drawing a distinction between successful blacks and blacks falsely accused of rape, claiming the former were exposed to more danger that the latter. It’s a very odd thing to say —suspiciously close to saying that it would be safer to actually rape a white woman than to prosper in a trade.