http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1456
This website gives a basic synopsis of the Scottsboro Trials by explaining the political and human rights issues that surrounded the series of trials. It all began in March of 1931 when a fight broke out on a train headed for Memphis. The fight was between a group of white men and a group of black men; the white men were eventually forced from the car. When the train stopped, the police apprehended nine black men - Olen Montgomery, Clarence Norris, Haywood Patterson, Ozzie Powell, Willie Roberson, Charlie Weems, Eugene Williams, and brothers Andy and Roy Wright- ranging from 13 to 20 years old. The police questioned two women on board who for their own protection accused the black men of …show more content…
The very apparent racism in the south and all white juries led to unfair trials for the nine young men. In the first set of trials, eight were given the death penalty and the youngest Roy Wright obtained a mistrial because of a split jury. After the ILD and NAACP got involved, the trial became a much more public matter and the juries verdicts were overturned. Trial upon trial took place, but even after one of the women who originally accused the men admitted it was made up, their skin color still made them guilty in the eyes of the jurors. The legal cases continued until 1938 when four men were free, four in prison and one murdered. In 1976, the last survivor of the men, Norris, was pardoned. True justice did not come until 2013 when all 9 men were exonerated of all guilt. The website wraps the story up saying in perfect words “In human terms, the Scottsboro trials were an unmitigated tragedy. … However, the Scottsboro case played an immeasurable part in undermining the structures of white …show more content…
Those nine men went through an experience that was unfair and unjust that thankfully changed our culture. Hopefully because of this stories lasting impact nothing like this will happen again. Sadly after I finished reading the page I was excited by the change our country has made, but worried that events like this are still occurring. America has still a silent face of racism that hold us back from moving forward. The biggest insight I have gained through this research is while I thought these jurors and people were being ignorant a few years down the road others will think the same of
This website gives a basic synopsis of the Scottsboro Trials by explaining the political and human rights issues that surrounded the series of trials. It all began in March of 1931 when a fight broke out on a train headed for Memphis. The fight was between a group of white men and a group of black men; the white men were eventually forced from the car. When the train stopped, the police apprehended nine black men - Olen Montgomery, Clarence Norris, Haywood Patterson, Ozzie Powell, Willie Roberson, Charlie Weems, Eugene Williams, and brothers Andy and Roy Wright- ranging from 13 to 20 years old. The police questioned two women on board who for their own protection accused the black men of …show more content…
The very apparent racism in the south and all white juries led to unfair trials for the nine young men. In the first set of trials, eight were given the death penalty and the youngest Roy Wright obtained a mistrial because of a split jury. After the ILD and NAACP got involved, the trial became a much more public matter and the juries verdicts were overturned. Trial upon trial took place, but even after one of the women who originally accused the men admitted it was made up, their skin color still made them guilty in the eyes of the jurors. The legal cases continued until 1938 when four men were free, four in prison and one murdered. In 1976, the last survivor of the men, Norris, was pardoned. True justice did not come until 2013 when all 9 men were exonerated of all guilt. The website wraps the story up saying in perfect words “In human terms, the Scottsboro trials were an unmitigated tragedy. … However, the Scottsboro case played an immeasurable part in undermining the structures of white …show more content…
Those nine men went through an experience that was unfair and unjust that thankfully changed our culture. Hopefully because of this stories lasting impact nothing like this will happen again. Sadly after I finished reading the page I was excited by the change our country has made, but worried that events like this are still occurring. America has still a silent face of racism that hold us back from moving forward. The biggest insight I have gained through this research is while I thought these jurors and people were being ignorant a few years down the road others will think the same of