Scottsboro Video Questions

Why were the boys on the train? Why did the girls accuse the boys of rape?
Many of the boys were hobos looking for jobs. The girls accused them because they wanted to
feel better about themselves.

Describe the mob. Charlie Weems, the oldest, was __​19​_ years old. Eugene Williams, the
youngest, was___​13​____.
Some were disabled, some looking for jobs, some with siblings back home.

How did the Great Depression affect this situation? How was it directly connected? Why
is Alabama an important aspect of this story?
Alabama was hurting most from the Great Depression. The increasing poverty made for more
tension, and put more homeless people on freight trains.

Describe the lives of Ruby Bates and Victoria Price before the trial.
They came from a cotton center and worked hard in a poor area. Victoria was tough, Ruby was
more soft.

What did Ruby and Victoria gain from accusing the boys of rape?
Before that their lives went against the ideals of segregation. Accusing black men of rape
restored them somewhat to purity. Also, to save themselves from being arrested by pointing to
others.

What role did sex play in lynching?

Many lynching cases came from black men being accused of raping white women. Black men
were known for lusting after them.

How did the north and south view Samuel Leibowitz’s questioning of Victoria Price
differently?
Northerners approved of it and thought he was brilliant. Southerners disapproved, feeling that it
was wrong to talk like that to a woman.

The 12 jurors selected included a shopkeeper, a barber, a clerk, and several farmers. All
of them were _____​sworn in less than 2 weeks prior ​______.

Leibowitz realized that he was the ultimate outsider in Alabama because he was a
______​Jewish​_____ lawyer from ___​New York City​_____.

What important decision did Judge James Horton make?

He ordered a third trial
What movement did Scottsboro re-ignite since the time of abolition?
The movement for equality between blacks and whites, with whites supporting it
What effects did jail finally have on the boys?
It made them lose hope for their survival
What landmark decisions did the Supreme Court make in the Scottsboro case?
1. ​Black people cannot deliberately be kept out of juries
2. ​The Scottsboro boys were innocent

What was life like for the nine innocent boys after their experience in Scottsboro?
They were haunted for the rest of their lives. Most moved to the North and lived troubled lives.
What picture stays with you the most and why?
All the pictures of the boys disturbed me. They were regular people, the victims of a selfish
attack made possible by overwhelming racism.
What information most disturbed you? Explain
I didn’t like that the two women had pretty much no evidence to support their case. They were
just bidding on the racism of Southerners, and it almost worked!
In your opinion, who was the most courageous person in this story? Explain why
Lebowitz was the most courageous in my opinion. He probably heard many, manny death
threats from southerners. But he kept going and trying to defend the Scottsboro boys.
Last thoughts:
The trial reminds me a lot of the trial in To Kill a Mockingbird. Maybe the book was inspired by
these events? The documentary saddened me, but I think it’s good to learn from these terrible
events.