The Scottsboro Nine were nine Black teens falsely accused of assaulting two White women on a freight train in Scottsboro, Alabama, in 1931. The trials took place during the era of Jim Crow, a time marked by racial segregation and systemic injustice against Black Americans. Despite evidence of their innocence and coerced confessions obtained through beating, all nine were initially found guilty in a series of unfair trials that attracted international attention. Appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court highlighted the inadequacies of their legal representation, ultimately leading to the reversal of their convictions. Over the years, five of the nine were freed, but others faced long prison sentences. Their case shed light on racial inequality in the justice system and was a catalyst for the civil rights movement.
The Scottsboro Nine
Themes: Diversity
SCOTTSBORO, Alabama (Achieve3000, February 21, 2022). The freight train rumbled to a stop in a tiny Alabama town on March 25, 1931. A mob was waiting. Police pulled nine Black teens from the train for supposedly fighting with a group of White men. Then two White women who had also been on board falsely accused the teens of assault. They were hoping to avoid arrest themselves for traveling on the train illegally.
The Black youths—ages 13 to 19—were transported to Scottsboro. There, they entered the jaws of Alabama's justice system. In a series of trials, the Scottsboro Nine were repeatedly found guilty and sentenced to die. They were saved by appeals that reached all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In the end, they were cleared of the crime. But the case forced more people to face the unfair ways the U.S. justice system treated Black Americans.
The First Trials
At the time, the American South was the land of "Jim Crow." This system of laws and culture segregated Black citizens, limiting where they could live and work. It also terrorized them. For a Black person, to be accused of a violent crime against someone White often meant death. The trials of the Scottsboro Nine happened in this time and place.
The Nine were charged with attacking Ruby Bates, 17, and Victoria Price, 21, on the train. Four trials were held over three days. The main evidence was the untruthful statements from the two women. The Black teens were forced to make false confessions after being beaten. Their lawyers did little to help them. The trials resulted in all nine being found guilty. Eight were sentenced to death. The crowd in the courtroom cheered the decision.
Appeals and Aftermath
By then, the trials of the Scottsboro Nine had grabbed worldwide attention. Lawyers from International Labor Defense (ILD) stepped in to help. They appealed the guilty verdict right away, and the appeal reached all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. There, the decision was struck down. The Supreme Court ruled the trials were unfair because the defense lawyers had done such a bad job.
The Scottsboro Nine were put on trial again in 1933. Again, they were found guilty and sentenced to death. The ruling was particularly shocking since Ruby Bates admitted that the whole story was made up. The guilty verdicts were again appealed. Again, they were thrown out by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The case dragged on. In 1937, five of the Scottsboro Nine were freed, but in a third set of trials, the other four were still found guilty. This time, one was given the death penalty. The others received long prison sentences. All but one were released by 1946. In total, the Nine had spent more than 100 years behind bars for a crime that never happened.
Historians today view the trials of the Scottsboro Nine as a terrible injustice. It forced more American leaders—and more White Americans—to admit the inequality in their own country. The case also showed the strong need for the civil rights movement.
Think about and discuss these questions:
What facts would you select to show the injustices carried out against the Scottsboro Nine?
How would you summarize how the lives of these nine Black teens were affected by events related to their case and trials?
Write a summary of today's article about the Scottsboro Nine. Include the most important information, and leave out the less important details.
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