What Are The Similarities Between To Kill A Mockingbird And The Scottsboro Trials

In the 30’s of Southern America, racism was prevalent; two trials changed the lives of Americans and our court systems. One of the trials real and another trial fake the words and evidence used can never be forgotten. In the South a white person’s word was the truth. Colored people considered were uneducated, unintelligent and savages. If a white person said it happened, it happened. When a white woman accuses and colored man of rape, there is no argument, the accused goes to prison regardless of evidence. The case of Tom Robinson in To Kill Mocking Bird and the Scottsboro Boys in Alabama changed Americans view on the justice system, morals and the way we viewed people.

In Alabama on a train headed to Memphis, Tennessee nine African American teens were accused of raping Victoria Price and Ruby Bates The accused were Haywood Patterson, Charles Weems, Clarence Norris, Andy Wright, Ozzie Powell, Olen Montgomery, Eugene Williams, Willie Roberson and Roy Wright. A fight on a train broke out between the Scottsboro Boys and a group of white boys. All the boys are arrested for assault

and later on rape charges are added. Before the trial even starts a group of one hundred people gather around the jail and tried to lynch the boys. Eight out of nine boys are sentenced to death without a second glance, the youngest boy Roy Wright, who was 13 at the time had all but one juror sentence him to death.
The accusing girls had been suspected of promiscuity and prostitution many times before. A year after the first case ended Ruby Bates writes a letter to her boyfriend, admitting that she was indeed not raped. After six years of trials no one was sentenced to death, although some went to prison and some where paroled. Twenty four years after the last Scottsboro Boy died Robert Bentley, an Alabama governor signs a legislature pardoning and exonerating the boys from the rape. Eighty two years after the alleged rape, the Scottsboro boys are pardoned. Everyone knew, just like Tom Robinson that they weren’t guilty but taking a black person’s word over a white person’s was considered absurd and scandalous.
Tom Robinson was a quite black man from the town of Maycomb, Alabama. When Mayella Ewell a white woman, asked him for a favor and he kindly agreed. He refused to be paid for his favors. What did he get in return: he was accused of rape and shot to death. Just like Ozzie Powell, Tom made a rash decision. While being transported to another prison Ozzie Powell, who was accused of rape and assault pulled a knife and slashed the Deputy’s throat, in retaliation he was shot in the head but did not die. Tom ran to escape and was shot many ties in the back. Both Ozzie Powell and Tom Robinson tried to escape because they weren’t guilty. The town knew they did not harm the women, but they were still convicted of rape. Pure hatred and racism drove the court systems to turn a blind eye and betray these men.
Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird was a scapegoat for Bob Ewell’s crime, the Scottsboro Boys were an example of what southern courtrooms were like against blacks.

In both cases they were innocent but it was so absurd to believe a black persons word over a white ones. No matter what awful thing a white person did, it was better than being black. Either race could easily be immoral, but one was persecuted much more. Too little was done before it was too late. Being pardoned after you are dead helps no one, why say something everyone already knew. The courts were like a fraction, white over black and there was no other way to determine who was right. In retrospect, back then trying to win your case if you were black in pre-civil rights America was just as useful as trying to drown a fish. Tom and The Scottsboro boys were accused of something they didn’t do, tried and left to the

wolves.