In 1931, nine African American boys were accused of raping two white women. The boy’s ages ranged from 12-20 years old. The names of the black boys were Roy Wright 12, Eugene Williams 13, Charlie Weems 16, Ozie Powell 16, Willie Roberson 16, Olen Montgomery 17, Haywood Patterson 18, Andy Wright 19, and Clarence Norris 19. The trial is notoriously known as The Scottsboro Boys Trial. While the trial is considered a key trial in America’s criminal justice system, it showed the injustice in the Jim Crow south legal system. On March 25, 1931, nine African Americans were riding a cargo train with a number of white males and two white women. While on the train, a fight broke out between the white and black boys that were on the train. The black boys were able to kick the white boys off the train. The white …show more content…
The ILD even organized protests on behalf of the boys. It wasn’t until after the ILD got involved that the NAACP wanted to help the boys. The NAACP didn’t want to involve the organization with rapist, so when the boys were initially trialed, the NAACP stayed out of it. The NAACP only tried to get involved because of how it would look with the ILD supporting the boys and not them. The boy’s family reluctantly stayed with the ILD. While the Supreme Court overturned the convictions, they only ordered new trials. Before the trials began, Ruby Gate proclaimed that the black boys never touched her. She said that the police forced her to lie. In 1950, over twenty years later, all charges against all of the boys were dropped. The case represented a crucial moment in which labor and progressive forces united to save the lives of nine African American males. The case helped focus attention on issues of racism in the criminal justice system. This case helped Americans understand rape as a broader subject, while also unlinking race and