This takes you from the comfy surroundings of your home, the. Archival footage images of the boys in turn on the stand to show their faces are innocent and angry primary. In 1931, nine african american teenagers were falsely accused of assaulting two white women a crime that never happened. An american tragedy stars andre braugher, frances mcdormand, stanley tucci the movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 30 min, and received a score of 74 out. White outrage erupts over the allegations, and a lynch mob gathers at the scottsboro jail.
Scottsboro tells the riveting story of one of this countrys most famous and controversial court cases and a tragic and revealing chapter in the history of the american south. Scottsboro is one of those place names that come to stand for something bigger. American experience 2000 starring andre braugher and frances mcdormand on dvd and bluray. I cant believe the justice sysytem was so racial and took the words of two white prositutes. Aclu lawyers played a major role in the infamous scottsboro boys case, which began in 1931 and would ultimately have farreaching effects. An american tragedy film description in march 1931, a freight train crowded with homeless and jobless hoboes left chattanooga, tennessee, bound for points west. This does not match the book you have stated but check this out. Because the scottsboro boys were young africanamerican men, they were treated unfairly by the southern whites. Bibliography of the scottsboro trials umkc school of law. In march 1931, a freight train crowded with homeless and jobless hoboes left chattanooga, tennessee, bound for points west. An american tragedy dvd,in march 1931, two white women stepped off a box car in paint rock, alabama, with a shocking accusation of gang rape, by nine black teenagers on the train. They show photographs of lynchings and read quotes that include the nword. Viva, the virtual library of virginia in march 1931, two white women stepped from a box car in paint rock, alabama to make a shocking accusation.
Scottsboro is fine tv, but it suggests that too much material was left behind in the avid storage file. An american tragedy article the naacp and the scottsboro trial. A look at the infamous scottsboro boys case that occurred in alabama in 1931, in which nine young black men were arrested, tried and quickly convicted in the rape of two white women, despite overwhelming evidence that showed their accusers had falsely accused them and the fact that one of the women later admitted that no rape had in fact occurred although both had had. In addition to its historical significance, the scottsboro story is a riveting drama about the struggles of nine innocent young men for their lives and a cautionary tale about using human beings as fodder for political causes. Essential american history, painstakingly assembled but painful to watch. In 1931 nine african american boys were falsely accused of raping two white women. The film is based on one of the longestrunning and most controversial courtroom pursuits of racism in american history, which led to nine black teenaged men being wrongly convicted of raping a white woman in alabama.
An american tragedy is a powerful oscarnominated documentary about when fate places people in the wrong place at the wrong time, and when fear and suspicion fuel injustice. The case of the nine black men falsely accused of rape in march of 1931 while riding a boxcar through depressionera alabama is one of the most poignant in. This segment orients viewers to the topics of race, poverty, crime, and justice in scottsboro. 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. The trials of the young men drew north and south into their sharpest conflict since the civil war. While considered a tragic miscarriage of justice, wrongful convictions. So began the scottsboro case, one of the 20th centurys fieriest legal battles. Documentary filmmaker barak goodman explores the famed scottsboro case of 1931. Due to the covid19 outbreak, facing history and ourselves library service has been impacted. The facing history lending library is currently unable to fulfill orders within the united states. By the time the naacp made an effort to become involved in the legal defense of the accused, the.
The white boys was the one that really had sexual contact with the two old hookers. Filmmakers barak goodman and daniel anker examine the 1931 case of nine black males accused of raping two white women. The scottsboro case is extremely significant in american history because it clearly demonstrates many of the injustices that african american people had to face within the legal. The accused are taken to scottsboro, alabama, the jackson county seat. After rushed trials and poor representation, eight of the nine scottsboro boys were sentenced to death. With frances mcdormand, stanley tucci, andre braugher, nesbitt blaisdell. That year, nine black males, aged to 19, were tried, convicted, and almost executed for. History, scottsboro boys museum and cultural center. An american tragedy recounts a disturbing chapter in american history. The case of the nine black men falsely accused of rape in march of 1931 while riding a boxcar through depressionera alabama is one of the most poignant in the long history of southern injustice. Alan blinder, alabama pardons 3 scottsboro boys after 80 years, new york times, november 21. Join us for a for a dynamic community dialogue exploring the scottsboro boys.
We need to face it, and learn from it, and make sure that it never happens. The audio of the recreation of the trial works as text because it is simply being read aloud from records clip 2 dickbutt the nine scottsboro boys clip 3 visual. Despite amending the constitution with the 14th amendment, black people were still openly discriminated against in all parts of american society. Where the woman charged to have been raped, as in this case, is a white woman, there is a very strong presumption under the law that she will not and did not yield voluntarily to intercourse with the defendant, a negro. An american tragedy barak goodman 2000 powerful oscar nominated documentary about when fate places people in the wrong place at. An american tragedy terms in this set 14 ruby bates. The history of the scottsboro boys, a group of african american men who were victims of a racist miscarriage of justice that became a.
In early 1931, a freight train crowded with homeless and unemployed people was making its way through northeastern alabama when it was stopped by an armed posse close to the small. The firebrand of communism 1936 goodman, james, stories of scottsboro 1994 hays, arthur garfield, trial by. This episode in american history proves how many people in the south were not concerned with how their fellow americans were treated. In 1931, two white girls claimed they were savagely raped by nine young black men aboard a freight train moving across northeastern alabama. An american tragedy trailer by api films on vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. An american tragedy the author or producer of this documentary film was smart in setting the scene for the viewer. The youths trial generated the sharpest regional conflict since the civil war, led to.
In march 1931, two white women in alabama accused nine young black men of gangraping them aboard a freight train they had all been riding illegally. An american tragedy 2001 using trial transcripts, courtroom photographs and other archival material, this documentary tells the story of nine africanamerican teenagers who, in 1931. An american tragedy a great tragedy, accusation of rape, the first trial 20 min. An american tragedy 9 young men was accused of raping two white women and didnt get a fair trail. Because the scottsboro boys were young african american men, they were treated unfairly by the southern whites. Nine young black alabama youths ranging in age from 12 to 19. An american tragedy my watchlist keep track of your favorite shows. The case marked the first stirrings of the civil rights movement and led to two landmark supreme court rulings that established important rights for criminal defendants. With a new introduction scottsboro tells the riveting story of one of this countrys most famous and controversial court cases and a tragic and. A tragedy of the american south 1969 chalmers, allan knight, they shall be free 1951 crenshaw, files, scottsboro. This documentary includes disturbing images and language. The film received an oscar nomination for best documentary feature. An american tragedy is a 2001 american documentary film directed by daniel anker and barak goodman.