Stories of Scottsboro

by James Goodman

From the Pulitzer Prize-nominated author of But Where Is the Lamb? comes a grippingly narrated work of history and "edge-of-the-seat reportage" ( Chicago Tribune) that tells the story of a case that marked a watershed in American racial justice. 

To white Southerners, it was "a heinous and unspeakable crime" that flouted a taboo as old as slavery. To the Communist Party, which mounted the defense, the Scottsboro case was an ideal opportunity to unite issues of race and class. To jury after jury, the idea that nine black men had raped two white women on a train traveling through northern Alabama in 1931 was so self-evident that they found the Scottsboro boys guilty even after the U.S. Supreme Court had twice struck down the verdict and one of the "victims" had recanted.

This innovative work tells several stories. For out of dozens of period sources, Stories of Scottsboro re-creates not only what happened at Scottsboro, but the dissonant chords it struck in the hearts and minds of an entire nation.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Law, Southern, Race, American History, 20th Century

496 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Hannah Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me ages to read this book. Not because it wasn't good but because I could only read a few chapters at a time before all the racism and injustice made me so angry I had to walk away from the book. The story itself is very compelling but it is so tragic I just can't say I enjoyed it. Books like this are so important to read though because even though we have come a long way from 1931 we have not gone far enough.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

This narrative is pieced together very well, compelling the reader to be drawn into every aspect of the complexity of this historical development.

[The Ravishing Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was tough to read. The injustice, the hate, the blatant racism, and complete disregard of basic human rights and fundamental freedoms that we take for granted everyday. My heart broke for these boys/men with every chapter.
As far as the quality of the book- it is stellar. Thoroughly detailed and clearly explains from all angles why things happened the way that they did. I appreciated the fact that the book is not one-sided and only taking the view of the Scottsboro boys or of the Southerners. It helps to understand exactly what happened so that history does not repeat itself. That being said- it is a lot of information to absorb making the book feel very heavy at times. I had to stop to take breaks.
I found myself constantly thinking of the Central Park Six (if you are not familiar with the case please look it up) The Scottsboro case started in 1931, the Central Park Five case started in 1989, a more than 50 year difference and little has changed regarding Due Process and Discrimination with Americans in the judicial system. We need books like this to remind people that our struggle is not over, we must keep fighting for our rights. I look forward to the day when there is no longer a need to fight because they are guaranteed.

[Michael Bartolone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Switching to non-fiction for a bit - this was a text from a law school class that I particularly enjoyed.
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Took a long time to get through - it was very dense - but very rewarding. Goodman describes, in fascinating detail, the various social and economic factors that led to such a horrific miscarriage of justice. You are still left wondering how people could do this to other innocent human beings, but after going through Goodman's analysis you can at least begin to explain how it could happen. Many Southerners in Alabama, for example, were stunned at the outcry after the first sham of a trial, as they felt they deserved to be commended for conducting an "orderly" trial and preventing a lynching.

I found the discussions relating to the different motives and tactics of the NAACP and the Communist Party, and the struggle for control of the case, to be particularly valuable. The Communists, who were already outsiders, weren't concerned about public opinion, saw the entire justice system as rotten to the core, and acted accordingly. The NAACP, by contrast, was more concerned with acceptance, and looked to bring about institutional change.

Another really enlightening narrative was how the Southern politicians - who were mostly pro-labor FDR Democrats - could be so stunningly obtuse on matters of criminal justice and basic human rights for minorities. In today's society, we traditionally associate progressive, left-leaning pro-labor and egalitarian movements with civil rights causes, but this book shows pretty clearly that it wasn't always that way.

Small criticism would be that the last 75 pages or so felt rushed, like Goodman was just cramming in the "where are they now" details to wrap up the narrative. While it was poignant to see how most of the Scottsboro Nine never recovered from their ordeal, the recap lacks the analysis that made the beginning of the book so compelling. Overall, though, highly recommended.

[Barksdale Penick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as part of a continuing series of history books recommended by history major daughter Alyssa. Apparently this was something of a groundbreaking book, due mostly to its format and style, which presents the saga of the 8 young blacks accused of rape in Alabama in about 1931. The tale is presented in a series of very short chapters, which discuss different aspects of the tale. One might discuss the state of the Democratic Party in Alabama during the years, or how the prosecutor came to be in mhis position. The book also follows the lives of the men as they grew up and grew old. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, as it presents a shocking story in a measured, wide ranging fashion.

[Kerry Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkable effort to retell the Scottsboro saga from multiple perspectives. Each chapter is written from the viewpoint of a different party to the tragedy. The effect is to humanize every party, and thereby to render the horrors of the trial and incarcerations all the more tragic, offensive and shameful.

[John M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exhaustive account of the Scottsboro Boys. These were nine African-American teenagers aged thirteen to nineteen who, in March 1931, were falsely accused of raping two white women who had been riding the same freight train with them.

Author James Goodman describes in detail, at times excruciating detail, the desperate lives of all Alabamans, white and black, during the depression, the hellish prison conditions the men endured, and the non-stop trouble most of them had once released from prison. I wholeheartedly agree with the quote from the New York Times Book Review on the cover of my book, “One cannot read [this] remarkable book worth being moved.”

The title is quite apt. Goodman recounts the events from the viewpoint of the accusers, the accused, the attorneys, and the organizations that helped in various ways: the NAACP and the International Labor Defense, the Scottsboro Defense Committee, etc. Therefore, adjoining chapters will cover the same events from a different perspective.

Given the large cast of characters and the shifting perspectives, I found myself having to frequently consult the index.

[Ashley]

read for a big research project about the Decatur retrials of the Scottsboro Boys, has a lot of information but just not really about what I was looking for!! would recommend as a source on the Scottsboro boys for someone who doesn’t know much already.

[Anna Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

a heartbreaking story about a group of boys involved in a so called crime when they weren’t. It was a she said he said case. They were blamed for a crime they didn’t do. They were charged brutally. Even the youngest was charged strongly.,such a sad story

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Communists, drifters, Jews, good ole' boys, carpetbaggers and their battle over the fates of nine young black men dragged off a train in Paint Rock, Albama, accused of rape, and sentenced to death. In a series of legal battles that would drag on for decades, the Scottsboro Boys's cases bounced up and down through the courts, twice being heard by the United States Supreme Court.

Weaving the tale together through an unimaginable amount of research, Goodman presents the stories through the eyes of all the involved parties. The book comes at the trials from a number of different angles, converging around the questions of race, justice, equity, and criminal procedure - all of which were bent, twisted, and molded in disgusting ways.

A long and detailed read that would be well worth it for anyone deeply interested in the deep south or interested in taking a glimpse of just how egregious miscarriages of justice are carried out, right in front of our faces.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very powerful book, in which the author looks at different points of view -- the boys who grew to be men during their time in jail, the judges, the attorneys, the NAACP, the Communists, the two accusers, the different groups of people in Alabama. Read in the light of the murders of Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis, one realizes how far, in some ways, we still have to go.

[Will Corvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredibly thorough account of one of the biggest frame-ups in American judicial history. Disheartening to read, but also incredibly interesting to read as Goodman illustrates the racist forces, North-South divide, anti-communist fears, and political considerations that influenced this case that lasted from the beginning of the Civil Rights movement until the end.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A powerful book that makes one extremely angry about how easily it was for innocent boys freedom to be taken away.

many historians write in a very dry manner boring the reader luckily the author does a pretty good job of not torturing the reader.

[Andy Bowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

beautifully written.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent chronicle of some of the darkest days in our nation's history. Difficult reading at times.

[Eric_W]

History of the events leading up to Powell v Alabama. The author explores the different "stories," i.e. version of the event from different points of view. Page turner so far.

[Susie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A haunting tale- but I did not like the way it was written. It definitely tells the story from every perspective, but it was choppy and confusing at times.