Accused! The trials of the Scottsboro Boys : lies, prejudice, and the Fourteenth Amendment

Brimner, who won the 2018 Sibert Award for his book Twelve Days in May: Freedom Ride 1961, now looks at the case of the Scottsboro boys, nine black teenagers who were arrested and falsely accused of raping two white women in 1931. The teenagers were riding the rails, hoping to find work in Alabama. Instead, they got into a fight with some white boys and were arrested when the train was stopped. But the fight wasn't the only trouble they found two white women who had been aboard the train accused them of rape. Brimner has his work cut out for himself in telling this complicated story. There are numerous accounts from defendants, witnesses, and lawyers; the perspective switches between the accused young men, who at times turn on each other; and the story contains important political and social elements, including an exploration of racism and the willingness of a Communist organization to defend the nine to promote its ideology. Not all the plates are kept in the air, but Brimner gives the narrative both heft and heart. The book's design uses black-and-white photos to good advantage. A solid look at a noteworthy event that touched upon many aspects of U.S. society.--Ilene Cooper Copyright 2010 Booklist

Gr 8 Up--The setting: 1931, Jackson County, AL. Nine black boys between ages 13 and 20 "hoboing" aboard a freight train were rounded up by a white mob, charged with raping two white women, railroaded through a hasty trial with lackluster representation, and sentenced to death. Aided by the Communist Party and NAACP, the boys appealed their case, all the while terrorized by their jailers, lynch mobs, and the looming threat of the electric chair. Their story garnered international attention and two landmark Supreme Court decisions regarding jury representation. Nevertheless, each retrial resulted in a new conviction and draconian sentence, and the accused never fully recovered. Tightly wound, compelling, and comprehensive, Brimner's meticulously documented narrative re-creates the menacing atmosphere of Depression-era segregated courtrooms, atrocious carceral facilities, and a riven public. Extensive quotations offer a sense of each historical figure's character, from the boys on trial and their accusers to the officials handling cases and the captivated press. The text is enhanced with plentiful photographs, period news accounts and ephemera, and helpful sidebars offering broader context. Brimner draws parallels between the Scottsboro boys and present situations, reminding readers how far we've come--and how we continue to come up short. VERDICT This masterly account of an egregious episode in American history is (and will remain) vital reading. An essential acquisition.--Steven Thompson, Sadie Pope Dowdell Library, South Amboy, NJ

Brimner (Blacklisted!, 2018, etc.) revisits the history of injustice in America.Brimner has extensively researched the heartbreaking story of the suffering and stolen futures of nine African American teens falsely accused of the rape of two white women in Alabama in 1931, laying all the facts on the table in a concise, gripping volume. The engaging, easy-to-follow text will draw readers into a historical account that mirrors many of today's headlines. Ultimately, it took over 80 years for justice to finally be served for these young men; they were not fully exonerated until 2013. In the meantime, they were nearly lynched, attacked and beaten by guards, and faced execution. Even after they were released from prison, their lives were ruined, and they were never able to fully recover. The text is enhanced with primary sources including photos, newspaper clippings, ephemera, and court documents that give readers a sense of immediacy. The author's note provides context about the enduring impact of the trials. This volume stands as a reminder to readers that lies have consequences and that no matter how long it takes, "We need to right the wrongs that have been done in the past." The parallels between the perils the Scottsboro Boys endured and current news stories show the continued relevance of this history, making this a must-have for both school and public libraries.Engaging and historically accurate; highly recommended. (author's note, bibliography, source notes, index, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 13-adult) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A posse of deputized white farmers carrying pistols and shotguns rousted Haywood Patterson and eight other young black men from the forty-two-car Alabama Great Southern Railroad freight train as it rolled to a stop in Paint Rock, Alabama. It was Wednesday, March 25, 1931, at around two o'clock in the afternoon. Except for Patterson and his three Chattanooga, Tennessee, friends--Eugene Williams and brothers Andy and Roy Wright--the nine black youths were relative strangers. They had been riding in different railcars, and some of them met for the first time when a scuffle broke out with several young white fellows who also were"stealing a ride." As Patterson explained, the fight started "with a white foot on my black hand," which almost knocked Patterson off the oil tanker he was riding on. The young white men wanted the Memphis-bound train to themselves. Almost all of them, blacks and whites, were "hoboing from one place to another looking for work." The desperation of the Great Depression had driven them from their homes to find a way to provide for themselves, with perhaps a little something left over to send back to their families. But during the tussle, the black men got the upper hand. "Some of them [the white boys] jumped off [the slow-moving train]," said Patterson, "and some we put off." Angered and embarrassed at losing the fight, the white boys made their way to Stevenson, Alabama, the closest town through which the freight train had passed, and lodged a complaint at the depot. The station master there called ahead to Scottsboro, Alabama, to report the violence that had occurred and to have the black youths rounded up, but the train had already passed through the town. Jackson County sheriff M. L. Wann called Deputy Sheriff Charlie Latham in Paint Rock, the next stop, and told him to deputize as many men as he needed to "capture every negro on the train and bring them to Scottsboro." Now, in Paint Rock, Latham and the farmers roped the "Negroes together." They took down everyone's name and forced all nine into the back of a truck. "Some had not even been in the fight on the train," Patterson recalled later. "A few in the fight got away so the posse [of farmers] never picked them up." Patterson asked a man what the fuss was about. "Assault and attempt to murder," the man answered. Along with the black youths, a young white man and "two girls dressed in men's overalls" were taken from the railcars. It was then Patterson first realized that women also had been hoboing aboard the Alabama Great Southern Railroad. The truck, loaded with its cargo of youthful hoboes, made the short, dusty journey from Paint Rock to Scottsboro, the seat ofJackson County. Here, the boys were taken to the two-story jail, where they were placed in a cell with "flat bars, checkerboard style, around the windows." The black youths were hot, sweaty, and scared. Outside the window of their cell, they could see a crowd of excited, noisy whitefolks beginning to gather. Patterson described them as "mad ants, white ants, sore that somebody had stepped on their hill." Some of the younger boys started to cry. Excerpted from Accused!: The Trials of the Scottsboro Boys: Lies, Prejudice, and the Fourteenth Amendment by Larry Dane Brimner All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.