What Is The Turning Point Of The Scottsboro Case

In Scottsboro, Alabama, 1931, nine African American teenagers were arrested for a crime that all evidence points to did not happen (Weddell 453). They were accused of raping two white women, which at the time, was a crime that, if found guilty, automatically sentenced them to death. It was not until almost twenty years later, after the case had been tried multiple times at the Supreme Court, that they were all released on parole (Weddell 457). The Scottsboro Case had a significantly positive impact on court proceedings and racism in the Southern United States. Through several momentous rulings that changed the outcomes of many future court cases for the better, it can be seen as a major turning point in the history of the United States. The Scottsboro Case was the first to eventually come to the conclusion that without competent counsel, the trial could not be …show more content…
For example, courts had a rule that allowed juries to consider race when determining the defendant's intent. This was used when African American men were accused of the rape of white women to infer that he intended to rape her; this was because African American men were presented as the stereotype of the sexual predator (Wriggins 111). However, the Scottsboro Case redefined rape in the eyes of many white Americans as they began “to understand both the unfair stereotype and its costs for African American men” (Marine-Street). Afterwards, African American men accused of raping white women were still convicted more than white men; however, they “no longer faced automatic death sentences” (Freedman 269). In addition, all sexual relations between African American men and white women were no longer considered to be rape (Freedman 269). This new view on rape changed the outcome of many cases; particularly the ones in which an African American man was accused of raping a white