Scottsboro Boys Trial Research Paper

The book “To Kill a Mockingbird” written by Harper Lee and the article “Scottsboro Boys Trial” both contain controversial court cases. For “To Kill a Mockingbird” a black male named Tom Robinson was accused of raping a white woman named Mayella Ewell. In the “Scottsboro Boys Trial” nine young black men and teenagers are accused of raping two white females named Victoria Price and Ruby Bates. Both cases transpired in the 1930s in Alabama. This is bad for the accused as racism was at an all-time in the 1930s especially in the deep south. This was around the time when the Jim Crow Laws were still intact and black people were not still considered people and they would still lynch black people. If a black man was accused of any crime involving a white person the jury would take the white man's word over the black man’s word. These exact things

First, it both featured a well-experienced, well-respected lawyer, who knew who to win a case and had great evidence that proved their innocence that should have led to their freedom but lost due to the prejudice of the jury. Next, it also revealed that the women white who accused the black men of rape was lying and made this lie up to deflect the blame for their previous actions they committed. It worked since the jury would always take a white person’s word then a black person’s word. Finally, it ended with racism and unfairness inside jury duty. They did not let a black man judge another person’s fate as they think that they did not have enough character to do that. It is seriously hypocritical as it is not fair for black defendants who are accused of anything. These similarities explain the racism, prejudice, and lack of justice in the book and article. It’s unfortunate that their skin color lost them their case for Tom and the Scottsboro Boy trial but that was the life of a black man in the deep south of the