The AI Myth of Solomon Fairfax, the 'Grim Reaper' of Charleston

Artificial intelligence is being used to mine true stories of Black trauma and resistance to generate AI slop disguised as slave revenge narratives.

Mar 25, 2026

∙ Paid

This story first appeared at Scalawag Magazine.

I recently came across a viral video about a “Grim Reaper” who buried nine slave owners alive in Charleston, South Carolina. As a self-proclaimed gothic nerd, horror connoisseur and lover of stories of Black resistance and vengeance, I did my research. To say I was eager t…

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A guest post by

Sherronda J. Brown

Sherronda (they/she) is a Southern-grown gothic nerd serving as the Editor-in-Chief of Scalawag. Alongside queer theory and (a)sexual politics, their writing often focuses on cultural critique and media analysis, especially the horror genre.