Scottsboro Boys
Written by Brandon, Callahan, Max, Song Mei
In March of 1931, in Alabama, nine black teens were accused of raping two white girls and beating up several white boys. Their trial was held in Scottsboro, Alabama. Sadly, at that period of time in Alabama, there was much racism and injustice aimed at people of color.
The nine teens did not receive good representation, which resulted in an unfair trial. Only thirteen-year-old Roy Wright was not convicted of rape, but still held guilty. "Roy Wright...began insisting that he and his three friends were innocent; the other five had assulted the other girls" (Carter 16). The other eight were executed one way or another. Later on, the American Communist Party helped get the case to the Alabama Supreme Court. They held a 7/8 vote saying that the Scottsboro boys were guilty. Even though this was one of many cases that ended up the same way the Scottsboro boys’ did, thanks to them, in the south the end of all white juries ended.
In To Kill A Mockingbird, the trial between Tom Robinson’s case and the Scotboro Boys’ case resembled each other in a suprising number of ways. Both Tom Robinson and the Scottsboro Boys were accused of raping white women. Also, both of the women who claimed to be raped told stories were really far out. Mayella Ewell (from To Kill A Mockingbird), told the jury, “…bust up this chiffarobe for me, I gotta nickle for you...So he come in the yard an’ I went in the house to get him the nickel and I turned around an’fore I knew it he was on me. Just run up behind me, he did. He got me round the neck, cussin’ me an’ sayin’ dirt-I fought’ n’ hollered, but he had me round the neck. He hit me again, an’ again-” (Lee 180). Ruby Bates and Victoria Price’s story, "One or the other of the girls, either in response to a question or on their own initiative, told one of the posse members that they had been raped by a gang of twelve blacks with pistols and knives" (Linder, Scottsboro Boys).
Sadly, both the Scottsboro boys and Tom Robinson ended up as "guilty" for a crime that they did not even commit. “The foreman handed a piece of paper to Mr. Tate who handed it to the clerk who handed it to the judge…I shut my eyes. Judge Taylor was pollin the Jury: ‘Guilty…guilty…guilty…guilty…’” (211).
The nine teens did not receive good representation, which resulted in an unfair trial. Only thirteen-year-old Roy Wright was not convicted of rape, but still held guilty. "Roy Wright...began insisting that he and his three friends were innocent; the other five had assulted the other girls" (Carter 16). The other eight were executed one way or another. Later on, the American Communist Party helped get the case to the Alabama Supreme Court. They held a 7/8 vote saying that the Scottsboro boys were guilty. Even though this was one of many cases that ended up the same way the Scottsboro boys’ did, thanks to them, in the south the end of all white juries ended.
In To Kill A Mockingbird, the trial between Tom Robinson’s case and the Scotboro Boys’ case resembled each other in a suprising number of ways. Both Tom Robinson and the Scottsboro Boys were accused of raping white women. Also, both of the women who claimed to be raped told stories were really far out. Mayella Ewell (from To Kill A Mockingbird), told the jury, “…bust up this chiffarobe for me, I gotta nickle for you...So he come in the yard an’ I went in the house to get him the nickel and I turned around an’fore I knew it he was on me. Just run up behind me, he did. He got me round the neck, cussin’ me an’ sayin’ dirt-I fought’ n’ hollered, but he had me round the neck. He hit me again, an’ again-” (Lee 180). Ruby Bates and Victoria Price’s story, "One or the other of the girls, either in response to a question or on their own initiative, told one of the posse members that they had been raped by a gang of twelve blacks with pistols and knives" (Linder, Scottsboro Boys).
Sadly, both the Scottsboro boys and Tom Robinson ended up as "guilty" for a crime that they did not even commit. “The foreman handed a piece of paper to Mr. Tate who handed it to the clerk who handed it to the judge…I shut my eyes. Judge Taylor was pollin the Jury: ‘Guilty…guilty…guilty…guilty…’” (211).
Works Cited
Carter, Dan T. Scottsboro: A Tragedy of the American South. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 1969. Print.
Linder, Douglas O. "The Trials of The Scottsboro Boys." Trial Watch. 1999. Web. 13 Mar. 2012. <http://www.trialwatch.com/scottsboro/scottsb.htm>.
Linder, Douglas O. "The Trials of The Scottsboro Boys." Trial Watch. 1999. Web. 13 Mar. 2012. <http://www.trialwatch.com/scottsboro/scottsb.htm>.