Nine African American teenagers, ages 13 to 19, were accused in Alabama of raping two white women on a train in 1931. The landmark set of legal cases from this incident dealt with racism and the right to a fair trial. The cases included a lynch mob before the suspects had been indicted, all-white juries, rushed trials, and disruptive mobs.
Ironically enough, all this happened despite the women admitting to lying about being raped. This sad history is commonly cited as an example of a miscarriage of justice in the United States legal system. This case is also the reason why African Americans have the right to serve on juries.
The 9 African American teenagers were:
- Clarence Norris (19)
- Charlie Weems (16)
- Haywood Patterson (18)
- Ozie Powell (16)
- Willie Robertson (16)
- Eugene Williams (13)
- Olen Montgomery (17)
- Andy Wright (19)
“No crime in American history, let alone a crime that never occurred, has produced as many trials, convictions, reverses and retrials as the case of “The _______________ Boys.”
Can you fill in the blank?
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