In this modern take on Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander presents the evolutionary roots of racism in the United States. She argues that racism is no longer based solely on race, but has transformed to more covert and legal forms through the criminalization of African Americans in the criminal justice system. As soon as a person of color is classified as a felon, it is legal for establishments to discriminate against them virtually as much as it was at the height of the Jim Crow era.…
Rubin, African- American boxer, was convicted by all white jury a year after the American civil war, so where’s the justice in that? The authorities hid the evidence that could’ve helped the defendant. It took Rubin 20 years to proclaim his innocence, the legal and justice system ruined 2 decades of Rubin’s life that he could’ve used in order to become more successful. What led to the miscarriage of justice experienced by Cater was corruption and racism. A racist cop named Vincent Della Pesca was obsessed with ruining Rubin’s life, Carter was sent to jail three times because of him.…
"I do not want a verdict based on racial prejudice or a religious creed. I want a verdict based on the merits of this case. On that evidence, gentlemen, there can be but one verdict, and that verdict is death-- death in the electric chair for raping Victoria Price. . . . "…
The author or producer of this documentary film was smart in setting the scene for the viewer. He showed scenes of the area and described the sounds of the train, gravel, and attempted to give the viewer a snapshot of the attitude of the inhabitants of Northern Alabama. This takes you from the comfy surroundings of your home, the accessibility to transportation to the hardships of the 1930’s and the dismal state of life for blacks, especially poor blacks.…
The Scottsboro case, a cause in modern American race relations, began when a brawl between whites and blacks took place while riding a freight train through northern Alabama in 1931 (Boyer). When Jackson County Officials stopped the train, two white women appeared from the freight train and accused nine black teens of raping them. One of those women was Victoria Price.…
The case was widely known throughout the country. The International Labor of Defense supported the Scottsboro Boys and help raise money for them. The ILD brought their case all over the media to gain support and awareness for the boys’ mistreatment. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) helped the boys’ family and in court, though in January 1932, the organization withdrew from the case. The Scottsboro Boys set a legal precedent and becomes an influential force to the Civil Rights Movement. The Scottsboros’ became the stimulant for the powerful movement. The Court’s decisions gave civil rights’ activists power to end racism in the South. The phrase, “Free the Scottsboro Boys!” became the public outcry for all…
From the very beginning, the media played a very prominent role in the Scottsboro trials. This media involvement served to exacerbate multiple divisions at play in the trial. The newspapers drew heavily on racial divisions starting at the first trial by emphasizing the racial difference between the alleged criminals and their victims. They also ran with the line that it was up to the white men of the south to save the honor of these victims by handing out the death penalty. This served in stirring up a mob by immediately condemning nine Scottsboro boys. A lunchroom proprieter went as far to claim that “there shouldn’t be any trial for those d*** n******….. rope would do the work and wouldn’t cost the county much” (Linder). The mob stirred up by the papers over racial divisions would heavily influence a couple of the judges and juries in the following trials.…
reduction and prevention, and are also used as a factor to determine the success of the criminal…
¨Until blacks and whites see each other as brother and sister, we will not have parity. It´s very clear.¨ (Maya Angelou). The Scottsboro trials took place 1931-1937 because nine black teenagers that were on a train from Chattanooga to Memphis seeking work, had been accused of rape by two white women that were also on the train that day. In the PBS video that we watched in class about the Scottsboro Trials there was much racism against blacks used during their trials that made an impact on history. In this essay, three major impacts on American history caused by the Scottsboro trials that occurred during the 1930’s is going to be clarified. The first major impact that was caused by the Scottsboro Trials was heightening the nation’s emotions. The second impact was being seen by nation and world. Thirdly, the trials that took place affected the nation’s laws.…
Remember the segregation of blacks. Well did you ever wonder what happened to them if they committed or got accused of a crime. There were many cases but there is one case in particular that I am going to be talking about. The Scottsboro case had the most impact on the black community.…
What most African Americans face today leans more toward the term “systematic oppression”. Systematic oppression is enforced by the government, the police, and the law. In To Kill a Mockingbird, one of the issues is the flawed law system. The same issue is found in the US today. However, the system is not as flawed, and the discrimination not as noticeable. Nevertheless, it still affects the victims of said prejudice and systematic oppression, especially African Americans, seeing as they are most likely to fall victim to systematic oppression. For instance, they are 80% more likely to be pulled over and frisked by the police than white people. Black men are sentenced to prison nearly 20% longer than white men, for the same crimes. Also, according to several studies, people in America generally feel sorrier and more responsible for a person that is white. Additionally, a psychological study has shown that white people, including the police, see black children as less innocent and older than white children. Furthermore, black children are also more likely to be seen as adults in court, and are given harsher sentences than white children, according to a Stanford University…
I had waited for this trial for what seemed like forever, but was only three weeks. I walked up the glossy, marble stairs leading to the doors of the Maycomb County Courthouse. The smothering sun shone on the stairs. Others waiting to enter stared as I passed, thinking only that I was a cranky, old man who worked at the courthouse. Every day when I walked to my job people would stare at me like they would stare at my psychotic brother. But only if he would come out of the house. The crowd anxiously waited for me to unlock the doors. As I opened them I was trampled by people trying to get good seats for the trial. As always whites were let in first as the blacks were at the back. The blacks sat in the balcony. As the whites got the good seats. When I got to my…
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” An act of inequity for some could result in inequality for all, unless citizens of the world do something about it. A current example of inequality for one would be how females are being treated compared to males in a variety of settings. People of color and different races are another example of people receiving unequal treatment. Throughout the world, inequality can be seen through those who are less fortunate than others. Every individual regardless of gender, race, and socioeconomic status deserves the right of freedom and justice.…
Throughout the history of time, the society's’ morals and ethical values have impacted the law in a way not all would agree with. This is specifically questioned in Richard Wright’s, Native Son. Bigger Thompson, the novel’s main subject, was properly punished despite his social standing and biases in the Justice System. He committed many heinous crimes such as first and second-degree murder and rape. Bigger’s ultimate sentence of the death penalty was extremely plausible and does not demonstrate a racist or colorblind Justice System.…
There are many types of injustices our society has to face but one that affects us as a whole is…