Scottsboro Boys Trial Attorneys

Jul 26, 1937- Titled "Enjoying Their Freedom." Byline on reverse of photo reads: Samuel Liebowitz and the 4 youths he defended in the famed Scottsboro case wave farewell as they leave for New York after viewing a movie at Cincinnati. Those freed are Eugene Williams, Roy Wright, Willie Roberson and Olen Montgomery. (original press photo owned  by G. Morgan purchased from Historical Images-Memphis, Tn. May 9, 2012 - ( Fair Use Rule - Photo utilized for non-profit news reporting and commentary))

A bit of information surfaced in last weekend's edition of the Chattanooga Times Free Press regarding the attorneys from Chattanooga involved in the "Scottsboro Boys" case and the physician who examined the alleged victims in the case.

Regarding George Chamblee, Esq., employed by the ILD, International Labor Defense League, to assist Samuel Liebowitz in the Scottsboro Case. "Chamblee, the grandson of a decorated Confederate veteran and member of a prominent Tennessee family, had no trouble with unpopular defendants and causes including Communists and radicals. He represented many moonshiners during the Prohibition era and claimed he had tried more than 800 murder cases with none of his clients being electrocuted or hanged. A graduate of Mercer Law School, he served as Chattanooga city attorney and district attorney general in Hamilton County before becoming involved in Scottsboro."
 http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/opinion/columns/story/2016/feb/28/summers/352089/

Life of the Law Presentation on The Scottsboro Trials - Emphasis on Clarence Norris, By Ashley Cleek, NPR

Scottsboro Defendants Under Guard. Photo-Fair Use for non-profit education and news.

Clarence Norris 

(photo-Fair Use for non-profit education and news reporting, source unknown)

In The Name Of The Father

 Listen:- https://www.lifeofthelaw.org/2014/10/inthenameofthefather/

THE LIFE OF THE LAW SERIES

"“A posthumous pardon causes people to think about the next case,” says John Miller, a lawyer and professor at the University of Alabama, who helped write the Scottsboro Boys Act.

   Miller was not pleased by all the loopholes, but he says, the Act isn’t simply a symbolic, feel-good moment for Alabama.

   “Are we going to [do] better by the next group of people that are brought up on charges when the evidence looks a little thin and when they come from a background that is not like that of the people sitting in the jury box or the prosecution sitting across the courtroom,” questions Miller.

   Clarence Norris Jr. was the only family member of the Scottsboro Boys to attend the pardoning. Norris feels responsible for his father’s memory and a lack of resolution. While learning about the case, Norris discovered that in the 1982, his father had petitioned the state of Alabama for reparations — 10,000 dollars in compensation for wrongful incarceration.

   “When I found that [my father] had tried and failed, I felt like this is something that I need to finish for him,” Norris explains. “Even though he is not here to benefit from it. I feel like [the state of Alabama] still owes him.”

   In Alabama, a wrongful conviction can be awarded $50,000 for every year of prison. So Norris and his sisters hired a lawyer and filed a case against the state of Alabama for $750,000 in reparations. They are the only family of all nine Scottsboro Boys who can be found.

   States across the U.S. address reparations differently. Alabama is one of only 17 states that have mandated a fixed amount per year of wrongful incarceration. But, in Alabama, the process of petitioning for reparations is strict. Only two people have ever received compensation.  According to the Alabama Attorney General’s Office the statute of limitations for reparations for Clarence Norris, has passed. Even the language of the very Scottsboro Boys Act says that a posthumous pardon cannot be used as evidence that the state owes anyone reparations." For more on this story go to:   http://www.lifeofthelaw.org/inthenameofthefather/  (Fair use rights for non-profit education and news reporting.)

DENIAL OF TRUTH, INJUSTICE, GLORY SEEKERS and MURDER

There is one problem with this article - Ms. Washington did not collect all of the pictures, nor memorabilia, many contributed in building the museum and the multi-cultural foundation. The full truth has not been told about the pardon, there was more that could have been accomplished. 

This writer believes the pardon should have been the way and means to establish a Race Relations state schools education program or to increase funding for indigent defense.

Alabama incarcerates minority peoples and the poor many times over the influential and white majority. 

Only through education may racial prejudices be overcame that have been taught and encouraged via peer pressure, in families and in the local culture. The state and it's glory seeking politicians have refused to put their money where it counts. Those supporting the pardon have failed to realize that there is a cure for the disease of racism through education. Apparently some are afraid that the cure might change the face of our future for the betterment of our culture.

Then, there is the other story which goes to the very heart and soul of Jackson County Alabama and the injustice of racism and those who make a stand against wrongful conduct and social injustice. The Murder of Sheriff Matt Wann, hopefully Ms. Cleek will revisit that issue in her investigations. 

The bottom line for that story is this - Shh, we have secrets and we do not want to tell the truth about our murdered Sheriff.. 

After research, study of local cuture, and inquiries, I believe Sheriff Wann was murdered because of his not allowing the Scottsboro Defendants to be lynched by the Klan mob. Motive - revenge for foiling the lynching. The lack of prosecution and allowing the escape of the alleged murderer of Sheriff Wann points to a crime which has not been prosecuted. The murder was a conspiracy involving Klan members, other law enforcement along with political officials of the time. 

http://scottsborostories.blogspot.com/2010/10/sheriff-matt-wann-brave-man-and-untold.html

An Ode to a Sheriff from "The Odes" in part,

A story of an Odd Fellow from the heart.

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The restless wings of time hath brought

the parting moment near.

The bell that tolls the midnight chime,

will knell a glorious day-

The memory of a forgotten time,

shall never fade away.

.

Farewell ye Brothers true and bold!

This day to you shall be.

O'er prejudice and slander old;

The Day of Victory;

And they who barr'd our infant way

Shall cheer our mighty youth,

And own the noble power to-day,

Of Friendship, Love and Truth.

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The story of Matt Wann is told,

So the "Pale Face" may n'er agin be so bold,

Thus-this story of murder is told.

Poem by Garry Morgan in part and in part from the Odd Fellows, "The Odes". 

The poem represents a murder and the lack of prosecution by past elements of our local society which supported the action of the Ku Klux Klan - the "pale face." 

Past unresolved criminal acts and racism sets the stage for current cultural exclusion of those who do not agree with status quo political extremism and facilitates threatening behaviors and harassment in today's local culture from political extremists.

It was and is through Federal Law such as the Voting Rights and Civil Rights Acts that racial discrimination was prosecuted. There is an element of political neo-fascist extremists who are attempting to end the advancements of the Civil Rights Movement. Glory seeking does not resolve the age old problems of the Culture War which continues today.

Clarence Norris Estate Seeks Restitution

"WAFF NEWS Ch 48 -  Scottsboro, Alabama - The estate of Clarence Norris is now seeking damages from the state for being wrongfully imprisoned. Hartline said the state passed a law in 2001, which allows people who receive pardons for being wrongfully accused to be eligible for $50,000 or more for each year spent in jail before the pardon was issued... 
Hartline said they are petitioning the state for 15 years, which equals a minimum of $750,000."  http://www.waff.com/story/25122195/estate-of-scottsboro-boy-sues-for-wrongful-imprisonment

Read the petition filed on behalf of Norris' estate here. Summary  |  Supporting documents



University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Law Bio on Clarence Norris, Sr.- "Clarence Norris died in Bronx Community Hospital on Janurary 23, 1989 at the age of seventy-six.  He was, as the title of a book he helped write suggested, the last of the Scottsboro Boys."

"Norris was the second of eleven children born to Georgia sharecroppers.  He attended school only to second grade, then at age seven began working in the cotton fields.  Norris had a job in a Goodyear plant, working up to sixteen hours a day, when his girlfriend left and he decided to hit the railroad tracks."

"When Norris, who had been one of those involved in the train fight with white boys, was accused of rape he thought he "was as good as dead."  According to Norris, on the night before the first trial, he was removed from his cell, beaten and told to turn state's evidence if he wanted to save his life.  At the first trial in Scottsboro, Norris testified that theother blacks raped Price and Bates and that he alone was innocent: "They all raped her, everyone of them." "

"Norris's second conviction was overturned by the U. S. Supreme Court in the landmark case of Norris vs Alabama, which found Alabama's system of excluding blacks from jury rolls to violate the Fourteenth Amendment.  Norris was convicted a third time in 1937 (in what Norris termed "a Kangaroo Court"), and again sentenced to death, but his sentence was commuted to life in prison by Governor Graves.  Norris was bitter over developments which left him and four others in prison, while four boys were released.  He believed that he was paying the price for their freedom.
Norris fought often in prison.  One incident in 1943 landed him ten days in the hole with only a blanket, bread, and water.  Another incident brought on a beating with a leather strap. "

"Norris was first paroled in 1944.  He moved to New York in violation of his parole, and was returned to prison.  In 1946, he was a paroled a second time.  He got a job shoveling coal in Cleveland for three years, then moved to New York City.  Unemployed in 1956, Norris visited Samuel Liebowitz who arranged a job for him as a dishwasher. "

"In the 1960's, Norris asked the help of the NAACP in obtaining a pardon from the State of Alabama.  Norris had violated parole when he left Alabama and was a fugitive subject to parole revocation and a return to prison.  A successful full-scale campaign was mounted, and in 1976 Norris received his pardon from Governor George Wallace."  http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/FTrials/scottsboro/SB_bSBs.html#The%20Scottsboro%20Boys

Alabama Heritage, Summer 2012, The Improbable Pardon of Clarence Norris: http://www.alabamaheritage.com/Scottsboro/ALH_Reidy_Awaiting%20Justice.pdf

"Scottsboro Boys" Pardon Date Set for November 21, 2013 in Montgomery

Three of the Scottsboro Defendants are scheduled to be pardoned on November the 21st in Montgomery, Alabama. Scottsboro's Daily Sentinel ( http://thedailysentinel.com/ )  reports in todays paper that three of the defendants are eligible for the parole; those named are "Haywood Patterson, Charley Weems and Andy Wright are to be pardoned in accordance with the Scottsboro Boys Act. " Clarence Norris was pardoned by Gov. George Wallace in 1976. Four of the defendants were exonerated in 1937. (pictured below)

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Jul 26, 1937- Titled "Enjoying Their Freedom." Byline on reverse of photo reads: Samuel Liebowitz and the 4 youths he defended in the famed Scottsboro case wave farewell as they leave for New York after viewing a movie at Cincinnati. Those freed are Eugene Williams, Roy Wright, Willie Roberson and Olen Montgomery. (original press photo owned  by G. Morgan purchased from Historical Images-Memphis, Tn. May 9, 2012)

"The Scottsboro Boys Petition": http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/assets/pdf/DS213028107.pdf

Clarion's coverage: http://www.theclarion.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7210:pardons-granted-to-three-scottsboro-boys&catid=42:clarion-rotation-stories&Itemid=142

"The Scottsboro Boys all eventually left prison, but only one — Clarence Norris — received a pardon in his lifetime...Dan Carter, a professor emeritus at the University of South Carolina who wrote a history of the case in 1970 [titled "Scottsboro, an American Tradgedy"had this to say]...Carter said he had "ambivalent feelings" about the posthumous pardon process. On the one hand, the historian said racial reconciliation was impossible "without facing up to the past." But Carter said unduly focusing on the past can distract from problems of the present." http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/16/scottsboro-boys-pardon/2820449/

NOT ENOUGH! I agree with Mr. Carter, this is not enough! Race Relations Education must be taught in our schools if we are to make definitive strides in ending racism. There is no effort to facilitate a race relations education program. There is no effort to correct the disparity of African Americans in our prisons. It is my opinion that this action was a glory grab by politicians and individuals who were out for self promotion.

Racism is a personal and institutional sickness which many are in denial. White folks and political leaders today cannot wash their hands of the racial injustice that occurred in Jim Crow America. Racism is still alive and well today in Alabama and across our nation. This is why it is vitally important that a comprehensive program of race relations education be implemented within Alabama.

WHITE GUILT? In the eyes of white politicians this is their answer-a PARDON for the deceased defendants, victims of racism and Jim Crow injustice.. I wonder if this pardon is subconsciously an effort to pardon themselves. This pardon process is woefully short of the answer to a growing problem of  racial and sexual discrimination practiced today in our nation, including current Alabama politicians.

"NEVER TO LATE FOR JUSTICE: Bro. Clarence Norris Jr., son of Scottsboro Boy Clarence Norris Sr., Speaks Out on The Scottsboro Boys' Pardon and Exoneration..."
4/19/2013




A comprehensive report on The Scottsboro Boys Trials 1931-1937 by Professor Douglas Linder  http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scottsboro/scottsb.htm

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley Ceremoniously Signs Scottsboro Boys Pardon at the Museum in Scottsboro

The Scottsboro Defendants with their Attorney Samuel Liebowitz. Alabama National Guard flank the defendants on the left and right. University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Law presentation of the case which changed American Jurisprudence: http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scottsboro/scottsb.htm

 

AP-Video: The Scottsboro Boys Pardon, Decades in the Making

 

 

"The governor officially signed Senate Bill 97, legislation that allows for posthumous pardons, on April 11 so it could meet its deadline. The defendants known as the Scottsboro Boys still have to be officially pardoned by the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles. The governor also signed House Joint Resolution 20, a resolution sponsored by Representative John Robinson that formally exonerates the Scottsboro Boys." http://www.theclarion.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6082:governor-bentley-signs-legislation-exonderating-the-scottsboro-boys&catid=42:clarion-rotation-stories&Itemid=142

 

Huntsville Times - Al.com:

"SCOTTSBORO, Alabama - Nine boys lined the center aisle of Joyce Chapel United Methodist Church, each waiting his turn to walk to the alter rail.
One-by-one the black youths moved forward, some shuffling their feet, nervous at the thought of speaking in front of so many people, others stepping confidently to the task at hand.
At the rail, each would light one of nine white candles, then turn to the people crowding the pews and announce in whose memory it was lit." http://blog.al.com/breaking/2013/04/the_black_and_white_of_the_sco.html

"Clarence Norris Jr. was able to fill in some pieces of his childhood this morning when Gov. Robert Bentley signed historic legislation posthumously exonerating the nine young men known as the Scottsboro Boys, one of whom was Norris' father, a man he never knew." http://blog.al.com/breaking/2013/04/post_1132.html

(Fair Use - educational not for profit)"al.com" photo by/Bob Gathnay

Slide Show of event: http://photos.al.com/huntsville-times/2013/04/scottsboro_boys_legislation_1.html

 

Early Scottsboro Boys Museum history photo-video

 

(Photo video by Garry Morgan)

Video of the Pardon Event


(You Tube video by Left in Alabama)

Scottsboro Boys Pardon Likely to be Signed This Week (In Scottsboro?) An Example of "White Guilt" or Republican Grandstanding?

{fair use-Gov Bentley's Face Book photo, cropped)

 

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley is likely to sign Scottsboro Boys Pardon this week in Scottsboro sources report.

Update Apr 13, 2013: Scottsboro's Daily Sentinel reports Gov. Bentley will be in Scottsboro Thursday, Apr. 18 to ceremoniously sign the bill. The local paper also reports Jesse Jackson may also be in town for the signing.

 

"Jeremy King, a spokesman for Alabama Governor Robert Bentley, said he expects the bill to be signed this week allowing the posthumous pardons, reversing convictions that became a symbol of racial injustice in a case that led to the end of black exclusion from juries in the South." http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-08/alabama-pardons-scottsboro-boys-82-years-after-injustice.html

 

(photo, fair use - http://wowcatherine.tumblr.com/image/44615443692 )

 Director of the Scottsboro Boys Museum, Sheila Washington, announces introduction to the Scottsboro Boys Act at the Alabama Statehouse. Catherine Schreiber Productions blog: http://wowcatherine.tumblr.com/page/2  

 

Dr. Shelby Steele describes "white guilt": "Steele believes that the use of victimization is the greatest hindrance for black Americans. In his view, white Americans see blacks as victims to ease their guilty conscience, while blacks attempt to turn their status as victims into a kind of currency that will purchase nothing of real or lasting value. Therefore, he claims, blacks must stop "buying into this zero-sum game" by adopting a "culture of excellence and achievement" without relying on "set-asides and entitlements.^{" "} Steele, Shelby (2006-05-02). White Guilt: How Blacks and Whites Together Destroyed the Promise of the Civil Rights Era. Harper Collins.  http://www.law.uc.edu/sites/default/files/fcj1.1.steele%20reviewed%20by%20ryan.pdf

About Dr. Steele, from Stanford University: http://www.hoover.org/fellows/10347

 

The question remains, what will the pardon act accomplish; does it create a race relations education program in the state; does it provide adequate criminal indigent defense funding? The answer is no.

http://arklite.blogspot.com/2012/12/watch-for-snakes-particularly-in-our.html

 

Alabama Republicans claim they know what is best for women: http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/02/07/1552611/alabama-trap-laws/?mobile=nc

 

Will Alabama Republicans continue their efforts to destroy the Voting Rights Act and Public Education, the great equalizer, in Alabama?

Civil Rights Attorneys file suit to protect Voting Rights: http://www.lawyerscommittee.org/projects/voting_rights/page?id=0073

  

Will the Exoneration of the "Scottsboro Boys" Correct Racial Injustice?

Jul 26, 1937- Titled "Enjoying Their Freedom." Byline on reverse of photo reads: Samuel Liebowitz and the 4 youths he defended in the famed Scottsboro case wave farewell as they leave for New York after viewing a movie at Cincinnati. Those freed are Eugene Williams, Roy Wright, Willie Roberson and Olen Montgomery. (original press photo owned  by G. Morgan purchased from Historical Images-Memphis, Tn. May 9, 2012)

 

There is much being said about the exoneration of the Scottsboro Defendants known as the "Scottsboro Boys." But is it the right thing to do, will it correct the old sickness of racism or right the wrong of 80 years ago?

 No, unless there is an action to correct current injustice and racial discrimination.

I do not believe the legislature has any power to reverse a judicial decision of a court of law in a criminal case. That is called the separation of powers, Alabama Constitution - Article III, Section 43; U.S. Constitution Articles 1,2,3. The governor cannot pardon a dead person according to the Department of Pardons. "State rules don’t allow posthumous pardons by the state parole board."  
http://blog.al.com/wire/2013/02/alabama_lawmakers_seek_pardon.html

Quotes from the above article on al.com: ""It’s past time to right this wrong that was perpetrated back 80 years ago,” said Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, one of the sponsors of the legislation. Historian Wayne Flynt said it is almost universally agreed by people who have studied the case that the nine youths were not guilty."

The wrong of 80 years ago was corrected by the Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act and the removal of racist Jim Crow laws from our justice system. In this case politicians and others are seeking publicity from the suffering of the Scottsboro Defendants. Mr. Flynt's comments are true, however "it is almost universally agreed...the nine youths were not guilty" is not a valid reason for a pardon or exoneration.

What does an exoneration for the Scottsboro Defendants do today to correct injustice and facilitate race relations education? Nothing unless:

1) Significant indigent defense funds must be provided for the poor. Currently the large majority of prisoners in Alabama and the United States are minorities. According to Department of Justice statistics http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/p11.pdf (Table 7 of the link pg 7) minority males comprise nearly twice the number of whites in the prison system. When looking at the statistics for the incarceration rates per 100,000 population the racial discrimination is dramatic and revealing (table 8, pg 8 of the DOJ document link); for male minorities (black and hispanic) the incarceration rate is 8.9 times the rate for white incarcerations; for female minorities the incarceration rate is equally dismal at 3.9 times the incarceration rate for white females. To solve this problem adequate defense funds must be provided and race relations education programs addressing discrimination and racism in our schools must be implemented.

2) Funding for race relations education in our school system designed to address the age old disease of racism. The creation of a Race Relations Education position within our school systems to: a)develop a race relations curriculum, and b) teach race relations related subjects for the purpose of ending racism in our state. An example may be found in Seattle, Washington: "The position comes with a broad job description that includes developing a district wide program to train staff, parents and community members on cultural awareness and understanding; devising instructional methods designed to combat institutional racism; and responding to requests for information and support from schools, departments, staff and families. http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Seattle-Pub...

If an Act of the Legislature to provide adequate indigent defense funds and a state wide system of race relations education was created in the name of the Scottsboro Defendants and attached to any bill which would attempt to exonerate the Scottsboro Defendants then the efforts of many would be well worth it. As it stands the current effort to pardon or exonerate the Scottsboro Defendants is nothing more than a charade and feel good effort to facilitate publicity for politicians and glory seekers. The bottom line is this: Race Relations Education is the key to end racial discrimination, "put your money where your mouth is" Legislature and Governor stop the glory seeking on the backs of the Scottsboro Defendants horrendous suffering at the hands of Jim Crow injustice. 

"Let Justice be done though the heavens may fall." Judge James E Horton. Original photo from World Wide Photo's Cleveland Bureau (owned by G. Morgan purchased on Jun 29, 2011 from Historical Images, Memphis, Tn.) Reverse reads:

 

Historical Event at The Jackson County Alabama Courthouse, Advancements of a Nation and People, History of the Scottsboro Boys Trials - 1931 - 2011 - 80 Years of History

 Jackson County Courthouse as it appeared in 1931, "Corbis" photo courtesy of Steve Kennamer, taken in April 1933.

 The Scottsboro defendants in Scottsboro behind the old Jackson County Jail under guard by the Alabama National Guard. Photo April 1931, The Progressive Age.

Rare photo of inside the courtroom at the Jackson County Courthouse,Jury Venire, April 1931. Photo Courtesy of Steve Kennamer.

Friday, March 25th, 2011, 10:00AM, a ceremony began surrounding the bench of Judge A.E. Hawkins, the racist Jackson County Circuit Court Judge whose rulings resulted in one of the most heinous miscarriages of justice in our nations history, "The Scottsboro Boys Trials." 

80 years to the day of the arrest of the Scottsboro defendants, 9 young men caught in the struggle of the Great Depression and a cultural war of racial discrimination and legal injustice of Jim Crow America. March the 25th 1931 began one of the most tragic events in American legal and cultural history lasting 45 years when Governor George Wallace of Alabama pardoned the last Scottsboro defendants, Clarence Norris in October of 1976. http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scottsboro/scottsb.htm

Why you may ask is this a historical occasion, the Honorable Victoria Roberts, Presiding Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, a Black Woman. Judge Roberts sat behind the "bench" which Judge A.E. Hawkins presided in the "Scottsboro Boys" trials and told the story of the "Scottsboro Boys" trials and what the case represents to United States Jurisprudence today.

 This ceremony celebrates the advancements and achievements of Race Relations in Scottsboro, Alabama and our nation, it celebrates and memorializes the sacrifices of the young 9 Scottsboro defendants, it celebrates and memorializes the sacrifices of those who gave their lives so that Civil Rights and Racial Equality is the rule of our laws instead of the exception, it celebrates education and justice as a tool to overcome racial prejudice. Story from the Daily Sentinel:  http://thedailysentinel.com/news/article_0b87f4d4-5729-11e0-94e8-001cc4c03286.html

A plaque exists on the south side of the Jackson County Courthouse Square telling a short story of the trials. This was the back of the program dedication ceremony describing the plaque. Click on the image for an expanded view.

 This week, April 4 thru April 8 2011, 80 years after the same days of 1931,  marks the conviction and death sentence of Clarence Norris and Charlie Weems in their trial; Haywood Patterson's trial, sentenced to death; Andy Wright, Willie Roberson, Ozie Powell, Olen Montgomery and Eugene Williams trial, sentenced to death.

Roy Wright, alleged to be age 12 ( Evidence at the Decatur trials demonstrated he was 13, a juvenile at arrest.) was tried as an adult in a seperate trial, the jury could not reach a verdict due to his youth, a hung jury by one vote.  http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scottsboro/sb_acct.html

One day I pray and hope that we as a nation may be able to accept and judge all people based on their personal character, not the color of their skin or cultural background related to race, creed, sex or religious preference. Unfortunately, as a nation and culture we are not to that point at this time in our history but we have made advancements thru the sacrifices of a few. We as a people and nation have further to travel in the most deadly of wars, the "Culture War" for the souls of our citizens.


May God grant us the power to overcome racial prejudice. Education is the key to overcoming the ignorance of racial prejudice. Education is what the Scottsboro Boys Museum and Cultural Center represents, it is our mission and represents our future. As history goes, the story has just begun,

Eightieth Year Commemoration of the Case We Call The Scottsboro Boys.

On March the 25th, 1931, nine young black men were arrested in Paint Rock, Alabama, Jackson County, while hoboing on a west bound freight train. The 9 young men were arrested for the crime of rape, a false charge which was compounded by a faulty system of  justice in a racist society. The trials and the case of these 9 young men is referred to as The Scottsboro Boys Trial.

The Scottsboro Boys Museum and Cultural Center, 428 West Willow Street, Scottsboro, Alabama will commemorate the sacrifice of these nine young men on March the 25th, 2011. The commemoration ceremony will begin at 1PM and continue until 5PM. Dr. Dan T. Carter, author of "Scottsboro, A Tragedy of the American South," will be the featured guest speaker at 4PM.

At 10AM Judge Victoria A. Roberts is scheduled to speak at the Jackson County Courthouse concerning how the Scottsboro Boys Case has changed the course of history in America's courtrooms, according to an article in the weekend edition of Scottsboro's Daily Sentinel. Link:  http://thedailysentinel.com/news/article_41adf84c-51a7-11e0-98db-001cc4c03286.html The news article also lists Mr. Lee Sentell of the Alabama Department of Tourism as a speaker at 1 PM, followed by Ms. Catherine Schreiber, one of the producers of the Scottsboro Boys Play. Check out the Daily Sentinel link above for more information.

A reception will follow at the Comfort Inn on John T. Reid Parkway at 6:30PM, according to the Daily Sentinel, the public is invited.

The above program is sponsored by the tax payers of the City of Scottsboro, Jackson County Alabama and the State of Alabama. Thank you, City Council, County Commission and State Legislative Delegation for this years contributions and for making this program possible.

Update Published 16 June 2011, "Southern Spaces" article by Dr. Ellen Spears, University of Alabama, "Rights Still Being Righted": Scottsboro Eighty Years Later  http://www.southernspaces.org/2011/rights-still-being-righted-scottsboro-eighty-years-later

Birmingham Museum of Art - "Scottsboro: An American Tragedy"

Ms Sheila Washington, Director of the Scottsboro Boys Museum and Cultural Center introduces the PBS film, "Scottsboro: An American Tragedy"

Dr. Ellen Spears, University of Alabama was present representing the Scottsboro University-Community Partnership in Scholarship, supported by New College, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the UA Council on Community-Based Partnerships, and the Summersell Center for the Study of the South.

Left to Right in the photo: Mrs. Lynda Hodges, Ms. Gretel Johnston, Ms. Sheila Washington and Mr. Garry Morgan.

Lynda, Gretel and Sheila, we arrived early for a tour of the museum, I was very impressed with the Asian pottery/ceramics/jade section and European Renaissance period oil paintings.
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On January the 27th Sheila Washington, Lynda Hodges, Gretel Johnston and Garry Morgan traveled to the Birmingham Museum of Art for an evening of discussion prior and after the PBS film, "Scottsboro: An American Tragedy."

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Ms. Washington introduced the film and we answered questions afterwords.

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Scottsboro: An American Tragedy, PBS, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/scottsboro/ In this 2001 Academy Award nominated film, filmmakers Barak Goodman and Daniel Ankar retell the extraordinary lost story of the 1931 Scottsboro case, where nine black teenagers were accused of raping two white women. Through never-before-seen-footage, photos, letters, diaries, and eyewitness accounts, Goodman and Ankar give viewers the opportunity to re-examine the case through unbiased eyes.

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Sheila Washington, Founder and Director and Garry Morgan, Historian of the Scottsboro Boys Museum and Cultural Center will introduce the film and lead a post-film discussion.

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Many thanks to the museum staff for their hospitality. Link to the museum: http://www.artsbma.org/visit-the-museum/visitor-information

The Death Warrant for Haywood Patterson

The Death Warrant of Haywood Patterson. (click on image for an expanded view)
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While searching for documents relating to the "Scottsboro Boys Case" several original, undiscovered documents were found in the Circuit Court Historical File area relating to the Scottsboro Boys Case, including this death warrant.
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All discovered documents related to this case were turned over to the Clerk of the Circuit Court so they may be safe guarded and properly preserved. Several case documents have disappeared relating to this case. It is important that all aspects of this important case be preserved so the public may have access to these documents.
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The Scottsboro Boys Museum and Cultural Center maintains copies of available case records at the museum.
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It is time local citizens and/or organizations who hold the original records to this case return them to the Circuit Court Clerks Office or in the case of supporting documents such as the Jackson County Jail Ledger Food Record for the time frame of the case, make those documents available for the public during normal business hours.
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If you hold any original case file documents and would like to remain anonymous, you may send the file or documents to the Clerk of the Court at: Ken Ferrell-Circuit Clerk, P.O.Box 397, Scottsboro, Al., 35768.

Sheriff Matt Wann, a brave man and the untold story, secrets and questions, the story of a murder. UPDATE: May 25, 2019

The continuing saga of the Scottsboro Boys case. The Story of Jackson County Sheriff Matt Wann and his murder raises questions due to local stories concerning involvement of the Ku Klux Klan in Sheriff Wann's murder in the early morning hours of May 3, 1932. He saved the lives of the 9 Scottsboro Defendants on the night of March the 25th, 1931 from an angry mob of Ku Klu Klan by preventing them from lynching the defendants. Several local stories have been told that Sheriff Wann's murder was connected to a conspiracy by law enforcement officials and local Ku Klux Klan leadership. (Click on images for an expanded view.)
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The truth of this case must be told. Did a conspiracy to murder the Sheriff occur or was this an insane act by one individual? A magical through his brother trajectory shoot and subsequent disappearance of Harry Hambrick? If a conspiracy did not occur, why all the stories of conspiracy by reliable citizens and officials of our community?
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The Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc., (ODMP) listing for Sheriff Matt Wann: http://www.odmp.org/officer/13823-sheriff-matt-wann The Sheriff erroneously placed the handcuffs on Harry Hambrick's brother, Arthur. It was Harry Hambrick for which the warrant for arrest was being served and who shot Sheriff Wann. This description per report from the May, 5, 1932 Jackson County Sentinel newspaper as reported by the Officers present and Arthur Hambrick. (This was one year and one month past the "Scottsboro Boys Case" Trials. )
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Update: October 29, 2010 A search of Jackson County Circuit Court records disclosed the following information related to the case of Sheriff Wann's murder by suspect Harry Hambrick on May 3, 1932. A search was completed for the Grand Jury Records for the period 1932. Book 6 for the Summer Term of 1932 was missing. The Spring term of 1932, Book 5 was located, it ended in March of 1932. There were no other Grand Jury records after the Spring Term of 1932 that could be located.
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The arrest warrant records for the period of 1932 were located and reviewed. There was no warrant issued for the arrest of Harry Hambrick during 1932 or any time after the May 3, 1932 date. There was also no warrant found concerning desertion which was the alleged reason Sheriff Wann was at the Hambrick home. This is very suspicious, it would be a normal act to issue an arrest warrant for the individual that was suspected of murdering the Jackson County Sheriff, particularly when there were 4 witnesses to the act of murder, 3 being law enforcement officers.


Image of Sheriff Wann in the Jackson County Sentinel 2 days after his death, May 5th 1932. It was alleged that Sheriff Wann was murdered by Harry Hambrick a short time after midnight on May 3, 1932 between Scottsboro and Larkinsville, Alabama while serving a warrant for the arrest of Harry Hambrick for the failure to support his wife, charged with desertion.
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Matt Wann was a Mason and as reported he was buried with much ceremony in a Masonic burial the following Thursday, ceremonies were held at the First Baptist Church of Scottsboro.
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Report listed in the May 5th, 1932 edition of the Jackson County Sentinel (paraphrased). "Sheriff Wann knocked on the door of the residence, no one came to the door initially. Sheriff Wann sent the officers accompanying him, Houston Dicus, Henry Jones, Wayne Phillips to the sides and rear of the home west of Scottsboro on the Larkinsville Road below the home of Miller Kelly. The house was dark, except for the light of the flashlights of the officers shinning through the windows. The report states that a man came to the door after Sheriff Wann announced that he was there to arrest Harry Hambrick. According to the news article the Sheriff asked, "are you Harry Hambrick," the man replied, "I am Hambrick," Wann replied, "you are under arrest." Sheriff Wann proceeded to place handcuffs on Hambrick. The news report states, "the man Sheriff Wann placed the cuffs on was not Harry Hambrick but his brother Arthur Hambrick."
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The report describes the fatal event after placing the handcuffs on Arthur Hambrick, "Harry Hambrick produced a shotgun, fired over his brothers shoulder striking Sheriff Wann directly in the heart killing him." As reported in the Jackson County Sentinel Officer Jones shouted to Hambrick after the shooting, "you come out of the house with that shotgun I'll kill you." Harry Hambrick reportedly threw the shotgun onto the floor then mysteriously escaped into "the bottoms.""
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Harry Hambrick was never captured or seen again. In the following weeks local papers tell the story of a southeastern man hunt for Harry Hambrick. He was described as follows: "A young man age 20, 5ft. 8in. tall, weight 130 pounds, has light hair, freckles, tattooing described as a woman on one arm and a heart on the other. He is talkative, very friendly, easily acquainted with strangers, appears younger than his appearance. He is of above average intelligence and easily mistaken for a farm boy of 16 or 17 years of age and did not have a "criminal appearance."" The local newspaper goes on to describe the magical Hambrick as "in a class of shrewd criminals... he may be hiding locally or distant places."
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There is the question, why were charges never brought forth to try Hambrick in absentia, after all, there were several witnesses, namely the law officers present? Justice has not been served in this case.

Sheriff Matt Wann, Sheriff of Jackson County 1931-1932. Photo posted in the Sheriffs Office lobby in the Jackson county courthouse.

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Sheriff Wann was survived by his wife Stella Rorex Wann and children Billie Jack and Robert Wann. Earnest Parks was appointed Guardian ad Litem for the minor children, Will Book 16, Pages 339-340.

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Clarence Norris - In the book, "The Man From Scottsboro," by Dr. Kwando M. Kinshasa, who interviewed Clarence Norris prior to his death, Norris relates that Sheriff Wann was one of the white men that was responsible for saving the Scottsboro defendants lives. (Bio of Dr. Kinshasa- http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/faculty/kwando-mbiassi-kinshasa  Unfortunately, the link is no longer active.) Active link, "An Interview with Dr. Kwando M. Kinshasa, John Jay College"   http://www.educationupdate.com/archives/2007/FEB/html/cov-drkwando.html

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Norris reported that Sheriff Wann stood in the door of the jail and told the mob that he would kill any of them that attempted to take his prisoners. Norris also reported in the book that Sheriff Wann was murdered for his efforts of keeping the mob from lynching the defendants.

Reports from citizens and news reports. - A mob of Ku Klux Klan and angry whites had gathered outside the jail the night of the "Scottsboro Boys" arrest on March 25th 1931. The mob had the intentions of breaking the prisoners out of jail and lynching the prisoners as had occurred in Marion, Indiana 5 months previous. Sheriff Wann contacted the Governor the night of March 25th and requested the assistance of the National Guard.

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The National Guard arrived on March 26, 1931 and lent support to the Jackson County Sheriff until the decision was made to transport the prisoners to Gadsden, Alabama as their security could not be assured at the Jackson County Alabama Jail.

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Allegations of Conspiracy to Murder. There are allegations that a conspiracy occurred related to Sheriff Wann's murder due to him not allowing a mob to lynch the Scottsboro Defendants. As the story goes, law enforcement officials were connected to the local Ku Klux Klan and the Klan leadership was angry that Sheriff Wann would stand in the way of "Klan justice."

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Inquiry to the Sheriff 's Office reveals there are no Reports of Investigation relating to this case.

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Other information gained in this research. In accordance with the laws of the State of Alabama at the time, it was reported that Coroner A.H. McAnelly became the acting Sheriff. Additional reports indicated that a petition would go forward to the Governor for the appointment of Mrs. Wann as the Sheriff, that never occurred, T.W. McBryde was appointed Sheriff.

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Sheriff Wann owned 126 acres in Township 4, Range 8 east, section 18 Jackson County Alabama, just northeast of Pisgah, Al. town limits, Deed Book 74, page 386. Sheriff Wann had money on deposit in the Tennessee Valley Bank which Mrs. Wann attempted to be reimbursed via a claims process after the bank's failure. A case is recorded in Will Book 16 pages 339-340. The index lists the cases erroneously as being in Book 17. Also, there was a Case involving Mrs. Wann as the Executrix of Matt Wann's estate concerning the Federal Land Bank. This case is indexed as being in Deed Book 87, page 408, the case record could not be located. The records on page 408 or adjacent pages do not pertain to the "Wann" case.

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There is an old saying, "the truth is always better than fiction." Such is the story concerning the murder of Jackson County Sheriff Matt Wann. For Sheriff Wann and the law enforcement community of Jackson County, the truth must be revealed for justice to occur. For the citizens of Jackson County, our history must reflect the truth concerning the continuing saga of the case known as the "Scottsboro Boys Trials."

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An Ode to a Sheriff from "The Odes" in part,

A story of an Odd Fellow from the heart.

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The restless wings of time hath brought

the parting moment near.

The bell that tolls the midnight chime,

will knell a glorious day-

The memory of a forgotten time,

shall never fade away.

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Farewell ye Brothers true and bold!

This day to you shall be.

O'er prejudice and slander old;

The Day of Victory;

And they who barr'd our infant way

Shall cheer our mighty youth,

And own the noble power to-day,

Of Friendship, Love and Truth.

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The story of Matt Wann is told,

So the "Pale Face" may n'er agin be so bold,

Thus-this story of murder is told.

Poem by Garry Morgan in part and in part from the Odd Fellows, "The Odes". 

Update:  While researching the Matt Wann story I came across this obituary for Matt Wann's son Robert E. "Bob" Wann. http://www.ajc.com/news/robert-e-bob-wann-971074.html "On Feb. 10, 13 World War II veterans received France's highest honor for the roles they played in the liberation of that country in 1944 and 1945. Staff Sgt. Robert E. "Bob" Wann was one of the recipients of the Legion of Honor...Nearly four months after receiving his medal, Mr. Wann of Decatur died Friday from complications of melanoma at VistaCare Hospice. He was 92. A funeral was held Tuesday at A.S. Turner & Sons Funeral Home, which handled arrangements." Date of article, Wednesday June 8, 2011.

Sheriff Wann would have been proud of his son.  (This update 12/23/2011)

UPDATE -  May 25, 2019 - 1930 Census Info on Matt Wann - Matthew L. Wann, Estimated Birth Year 1877, at the time of Sheriff Wann's murder in 1932, he would have been near 55 yars of age.   https://www.fold3.com/image/158739537?rec=158739597

Scottsboro, Alabama - May 25, 2019 - A ceremony was held at the Scottsboro Boys Museum in Scottsboro, Alabama in memory of Jackson County Sheriff Matt Wann. Sheriff Wann's grandson and his family members were in attendance. Sheriff Wann's photo and history were placed on the museum's Wall of Remembrance of those who defended the 9 Scottsboro Defendants known as "The Scottsboro Boys." A Jackson County Sheriff's Department representative was in attendance.

Scottsboro Boys Museum Wins Grants

Daily Sentinel Story: http://thedailysentinel.com/news/article_7b3809c2-d8e4-11df-95ac-001cc4c002e0.html

Link: Ala. Scottsboro Boys museum wins grants


 

http://scottsboromusical.com/history.html

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More links to story:http://blog.al.com/wire/2010/10/scotttsboro_boys_museum_wins_5.html
http://www.waaytv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13316341

The "Scottsboro Boys" recording by Leadbelly

 

Widow of the Last ‘Scottsboro Boy’ Dies

" Scottsboro Boys" under guard by the Alabama National Guard, April 1931.

Clarence Norris picture as it appeared in Life Magazine.

Link: Widow of the Last ‘Scottsboro Boy’ Dies

Scottsboro Boys Museum Needs Your Help

In our society's communities there comes a time for measurements of a community's values. What are the citizens values and attitudes, what do the people value in a community? Where injustice has occurred how do citizens work to establish their image to the city, county, state, the nation and the world. The time has come for Scottsboro and Alabama's citizens to measure their values relating to race relations.

 

79 years ago, almost to the day, 9 teenage boys were accused of raping 2 white girls, March 25, 1931. The resulting series of cases become known as the Scottsboro Boys Case. The veil of time has been parted to reveal the truth of the Scottsboro Trials. The cases were a trumped up charge which told the story of racism in Jim Crow America.

The Scottsboro case occurred 7 months after 3 African Americans were kidnapped out of the Marion, Indiana jail where they had been arrested for allegations of raping a white girl. 1 youth escaped 2 were murdered by the Ku Klux Klan by hanging. Fears were rampant that the same would occur in Scottsboro.

History reflects a show of force and cooler heads prevailed in Scottsboro. History also reflects bigotry in Jim Crow Alabama resulted in other than a fair jury trial in Scottsboro and the subsequent cases.

I have traveled around the world in my near 58 years of life. In my travels discussion will eventually come around to "where are you from?" I always proudly answer Scottsboro, Alabama.

Many folks equate Scottsboro with Unclaimed Baggage, within the past 20 years, "snake handling," the Scottsboro case and the stereotype that Scottsboro represents in racism and bigotry. The Scottsboro Boys Museum and Cultural Center provides an opportunity to reverse the negative stereotype of Scottsboro, Alabama, to heal the wounds and scars of Jim Crow Alabama and the personal bigotry of a few.

I have recorded the history of the Scottsboro Boys Museum since it opened on December 20, 2009 on this blog. A deal was struck with caring and concerned leadership within the North Alabama United Methodist Conference to occupy the building while the museum staff raise funds for purchasing of the longest standing African American Church in Scottsboro and Jackson County, Alabama. Built in 1878, rebuilt in 1904. The church was literally built by former slaves. The African American Community has purchased this Church many times over in the 132 years it has been in existence. The community, the Methodist Church and all good people have an opportunity to demonstrate exactly where their values lie. Some have stepped up and made big contributions. Senator Lowell Barron, Representatives John Robinson and Butch Taylor are just a few. The Harbin family, the Maples family, Dr Pitts and family of Huntsville, Al. and many others. We have raised $42, 000 dollars but we need $33,000 more for the purchase of the building and property. The United Methodist Conference is asking $75,000 for the property.

No one knows what the future will bring, however I know that an opportunity presents itself to resolve an inequity of history and end a negative stereotype about Scottsboro, Alabama. An opportunity to heal old wounds and educate citizens about the importance of the Scottsboro Boys case and how the case was the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. I know there is no better place to do this than a historical African American Church in Scottsboro, Alabama.

Some have said buying or selling Joyce Chapel is just business, I answer those who would say this loudly, NO IT IS NOT JUST BUSINESS!

Joyce Chapel represents the plight of African Americans in Alabama and specifically Scottsboro. Joyce Chapel represents whether a religious institution places money before souls, the community and the cultural heritage of our nation. Joyce Chapel represents the sacrifice of a people and their religious heritage. Joyce Chapel and The Scottsboro Boys Museum represents America, Alabama, Scottsboro, the Methodists and Christian religious values in general. Now all involved must answer, where do their values and hearts lie? Will there be a celebration of progress in a 21st Century Scottsboro or an epitaph of a dead opportunity and a continuation of a negative stereotype about Scottsboro and proof that a culture of racism exists in 21st Century Alabama institutions and people? How will this chapter of Joyce Chapel's history and that of Scottsboro be recorded?

You fellow citizens and readers have a chance to determine how the history of Joyce Chapel and the Scottsboro Boys Museum and Cultural Center will be recorded.

 

Garry Morgan, Historian, Scottsboro Boys Museum

Department of Defense Race Relations/Equal Opportunity Specialist

U.S. Army Retired

Story in The Daily Sentinel by Dwight Patterson: http://www.thedailysentinel.com/story.lasso?ewcd=73f8ab5de4e0f777

Story and Comments on "Left in Alabama." http://www.leftinalabama.com/diary/5939/scottsboro-boys-museums-future-is-in-doubt

"The Scottsboro Boys" Play Review and Pictures by the New York Times

Theater Slide Show: http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/03/11/theater/20100311_SCOTTSBORO_SLIDESHOW_index.html

New York Times Theater Review by Bob Brantley on John Kander and Fred Ebb's musical, The Scottsboro Boys: http://theater.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/theater/reviews/11scottsboro.html

Rev. R.L. Shanklin, "The End of Black History Month, Where Do We Go From Here? The True History Of Being Black in America Must Be Told."

Keynote Speaker at the Scottsboro Boys Museum and Cultural Center, Black History Program, February 28, 2010, Reverend R.L. Shanklyn, former President of the Alabama NAACP, Minister Progressive Union Missionary Baptist Church, Huntsville, Al.. Reverend Shanklins message: "Where do we go from here?"
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Reverend Shanklin began his presentation with a quote from Frederick Douglas, "Where there is no struggle there is no progress." Reverend Shanklin gave a moving presentation about his life experiences and how they relate to Black History. His presentation was a commentary on struggle, perseverance, faith, ministry, accomplishment and his experiance of being a Black Man in America.
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Reverend Shanklin commented how Joyce Chapel took him back to an earlier day in his life. He told us about how a white man had kicked him for drinking water from a jug while working in a tobacco field to quench his thirst and how that incident affected his early life. His thoughts were, "there must be a better way and a better day. Black history is part of the American Experience but it is not presented truthfully." He talked about the importance of Black History and why the Scottsboro Boys Museum is so very important in telling the story about being Black in America.
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Stories of the struggles and accomplishments of Martin Luther King, Jesse Jackson and Archie Stewart. Rev. Shanklin told us of his experiences with Archie Stewart and his respect for Mr. Stewart's actions in the local NAACP Chapter.
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"Standing on the shoulders of our forefathers, walking in the blood of our forefathers, we will be counted. Peace, Harmony, Love and Respect, is the road we must follow, God will take care of the rest." This was Reverend Shanklin's parting message.
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Thank you Reverend Shanklin for your moving presentation.

Reverend Gary Speers presented Reverend Shanklin with a copy of Dan Carter's book, "Scottsboro." A parting gift of appreciation for his presentation. Reverend Speers also presented Reverend Shanklin with a Scottsboro City Pin, "Scottsboro, Someplace Special."

Reverend Shanklin and wife.

Ms. Shanklin makes a presentation to Ms. Sheila Washington, Museum Chairperson and Foundation President for her work on the Courthouse Plaque Commemorating the Scottsboro Boys and the Scottsboro Boys Museum.

Mr. J.D. Stevens sung 2 songs for our closing ceremonies for Black History Month. Mr. Stevens also related to me about his early 1960's church experiences in Jackson County.

Ms. Candice Lovelady graces the Chapel with her beautiful voice.

28 people were in attendance for Reverend Shanklin's presentation.

Mr. Charles Elliot, Scottsboro Jackson County Multicultural Heritage Foundation Board of Directors and Scottsboro Boys Museum Executive Committee gave the Invocation.