The Scottsboro Trials

The Scottsboro Trials

Racism wasted the lives of nine young, black men. In a trial where the

only plausible evidence proved their innocence, they were still

convicted. They were accused of rape, but all it was was an

accusation. There was nothing to back it up. They endured many trials

almost all of which had prejudice juries. This is the story of nine

young men who had little, and then had everything taken away from

them.

On March 24, 1931, nine black youths were accused of raping two white

girls; Victoria Price and Ruby Bates. There was only one of them who

was not in his teens, Charlie Weems. Ozie Powell and Clarence Norris

were both slender, but muscular and healthy. Olen Montgomery was blind

in one eye and the other had very poor eyesight. Willie Roberson had

to walk with a cane because of his poor health. He had both syphilis

and gonorrhea and never received medical attention. These young men

were all from Georgia, but they stated that they were unacquainted.

The other four originated from Chattanooga. They were traveling

together looking for work. Haywood Patterson who was nineteen at the

time of the arrest. Eugene Williams and Leroy Wright were only

thirteen. Leroy's brother Andy Wright was nineteen.

Victoria Price and Ruby Bates, who were 21 and 17 years of age, were

riding on a freight train with seven white hoboes. Victoria stated

that they both talked with the boys, but Ruby, privately, said that

Victoria talked, laughed and sang with the boys. The whole time, she

was on the other side of the car. They said that they rode with these

boys until the train rolled into Stevenson. That was when, Victoria

testified...

... middle of paper ...

...e last of the living "Scottsboro Boys". He got married

and had two children. He was granted a pardon by the Alabama Governor

George Wallace. In 1989 he died at the age of 76.

It is impossible to understand why anyone would waste the lives of

nine good people. Inside this story lies a great sadness that will

never be healed. We can only hope that nothing like this would ever

happen again.

Bibliography

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Carter, Dan T. Scottsboro a Tragedy of the American South. Louisiana:

Robert Lance,

1969.

Linder, Douglas O. Famous American Trials "The Scottsboro Boys"

Trials. 1999

<

http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/FTrials/scottsboro/SB_HRrep.html>

"Civil Liberties in the United States." Collier's Encyclopedia. 1996

ed.

"Scottsboro Case" The Encyclopedia Americana. 2001 ed.