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Accused!: The Trials of the Scottsboro Boys: Lies, Prejudice and the Fourteenth Amendment
This chilling and harrowing account tells the story of the Scottsboro Boys, nine African-American teenagers who, when riding the rails during the Great Depression, found their lives destroyed after two white women falsely accused them of rape. Award-winning author Larry Dane Brimner explains how it took more than eighty years for their wrongful convictions to be overturned.
In 1931, nine teenagers were arrested as they traveled on a train through Scottsboro, Alabama. The youngest was thirteen, and all had been hoping to find something better at the end of their journey. But they never arrived. Instead, two white women falsely accused them of rape. The effects were catastrophic for the young men, who came to be known as the Scottsboro Boys. Being accused of raping a white woman in the Jim Crow south almost certainly meant death, either by a lynch mob or the electric chair. The Scottsboro boys found themselves facing one prejudiced trial after another, in one of the worst miscarriages of justice in U.S. history. They also faced a racist legal system, all-white juries, and the death penalty. Noted Sibert Medalist Larry Dane Brimner uncovers how the Scottsboro Boys spent years in Alabama's prison system, enduring inhumane conditions and torture. The extensive back matter includes an author's note, bibliography, index, and further resources and source notes.
192 pages, Hardcover
Published October 15, 2019
20 people are currently reading
195 people want to read
About the author
Larry Dane Brimner
162 books31 followersLarry Dane Brimner is the recipient of the 2018 Robert F. Sibert Award for the most distinguished informational book for children for his title Twelve Days in May: Freedom Ride 1961. He is known for his well-researched, innovative, and award-winning nonfiction for young readers, and is the author of multiple acclaimed civil rights titles, including Strike!: The Farm Workers' Fight for Their Rights; and Black & White: The Confrontation between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene "Bull" Connor.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
December 24, 2019
The contents of this book filled me with anger. I enjoy reading about history, specifically this period in the South. However, I can’t hide the fact that reading about all these boys went through that could have easily been avoided upset me deep down to my core. The extreme prejudice and racism shown through various lawyers and judges in Alabama absolutely baffled me. Thomas Knight using the lives of these boys as political pawns to gain office Alabama angered me. It’s too late to affect the lives of the boys, but I was glad that recently they were all retroactively exonerated then all to potentially give their families some type of closure even though it’s always going to be too little, too late. Larry Brimner has a way with words that kept me hooked and on the edge of my seat just hoping for the best and that it wouldn’t end how I thought it might. I had no prior knowledge of this case until reading the book and it captures me to where I read the whole thing in a few hours and didn’t want to put it down.
June 12, 2020
The subject matter in this book is VERY important and the author does a good job of keeping the story balanced and letting the readers draw their own conclusions about not only what really happened, but how all of this reflects on America, race, and the criminal justice system.
The scariest part about this book was I felt like I could have lifted the headlines and tweeted them and people would have assumed it was happening now because, yeah...
This would make a great book discussion title for a teen book club.
My only quibble is that in keeping the writing balanced and fact-based, it sometimes got a little dry. These poor boys (and later young men) were dragged in and out of courtrooms so often, I found it hard to focus when I knew exactly what was going to happen...not that I knew anything about this piece of history prior to reading this book, but I knew that black boys in the 1930s accused of touching a white woman were not going to get a fair trial, no matter how many times they tried.
The scariest part about this book was I felt like I could have lifted the headlines and tweeted them and people would have assumed it was happening now because, yeah...
This would make a great book discussion title for a teen book club.
My only quibble is that in keeping the writing balanced and fact-based, it sometimes got a little dry. These poor boys (and later young men) were dragged in and out of courtrooms so often, I found it hard to focus when I knew exactly what was going to happen...not that I knew anything about this piece of history prior to reading this book, but I knew that black boys in the 1930s accused of touching a white woman were not going to get a fair trial, no matter how many times they tried.
November 3, 2020
YA nonfiction, written smartly and concisely to hold the readers attention.
This is the story of nine black youth(known as the Scottsboro Boys) who were falsely accused of raping two white women in Alabama in 1931. It lays out the ugly truth of the prejudice that existed and how the 14th amendment only existed in certain parts of the country, for those with white skin and money. There are some great inserts of newspapers and fliers from the time period.
This is the story of nine black youth(known as the Scottsboro Boys) who were falsely accused of raping two white women in Alabama in 1931. It lays out the ugly truth of the prejudice that existed and how the 14th amendment only existed in certain parts of the country, for those with white skin and money. There are some great inserts of newspapers and fliers from the time period.
August 19, 2023
I’m embarrassed to say that I’d heard of the Scottsboro Boys, but I didn’t know any details. I’m also embarrassed that it happened at all. I’m glad I know more now, and I’ll have this book available in my classroom library for my students.
June 24, 2023
The injustice done to these young men is horrific! I would like to think our society has evolved from this type of prejudicial behavior, but I fear we still have a way to go yet.
July 5, 2023
Page 1
A posse of deputized white farmers carrying pistols and shotguns rousted Haywood Patterson and eight other young black me from the forty-two-car Alabama Great Southern Railroad freight train as it rolled to a stop in Paint Rock, Alabama. It was Wednesday, March 25, 1931, at around two o'clock in the afternoon.
My heart sank with the first line of this book, but I couldn't put it down. Brimner is a "go to" author for me. He's written several gripping/riveting books on major historical moments in our country's pursuit of civil rights and this new title did not fail to do the same.
There were so many points when I gasped aloud, just stunned by how blatant the racism was in the Alabama courts towards these young men. (I know the history of the time and place, BUT STILL...) It was clear these men were innocent. The woman who accused them of rape was believed to be lying by several of those involved on the defense and prosecution teams. Another woman who accused at first, changed her statement and said they were innocent. Two doctors testified that their examination had not revealed evidence of rape. Judge Callahan rushed the trials, telling the defense attorney to get on with it. There was not a representative jury and the jury roles had no names of black citizens. And on and on and on. And yet, those defending these young men persevered FOR YEARS. I won't give away the ending verdict.
While reading this book, our world is engaged in #BlackLivesMatter protests, deep thoughtful conversations, new proposed legislation sparked by the terrible murder of George Floyd by a white police officer. This made reading this book all the more chilling for me because in the 89 years since this case started, these absurd, racist events are still happening. Unbelievable. Like another reviewer wrote - I could have lifted the headlines from this case and posted on Twitter and everyone would have thought they were regarding a current event.
Recently, I read a book by Tiffany Jewell stating that we all "carry history" with us--especially black Americans. I'd wondered how we can get that idea across to young teens - that they carry the history of our country with them. What does that mean really? (Credit due - Some teens - especially those who have experienced racism on a regular basis or who have..., may already understand how they carry our history with them every day.) As much as teens might want to believe in "free will," they are not growing up separate from that history. It might be by reading books like those by Brimner as well as titles like "Stamped" by Reynolds & Kendi and "How to be an Anti-racist" by Kendi that help teens see the connections between their lives and not just the recent past, but the past past and the past past past.
And I'll just say, Sheila Washington is my hero. At the end of the book Brimner details how Washington, a black citizen of Alabama, first learned about the Scottsboro boys in the mid-1970's as a child. Later as an adult, she partnered with a state senator to introduce and pass legislation (signed in 2013 by the governor) that would allow for posthumous pardons in cases of racial discrimination. When the legislation was signed in 2013 by the governor, the Scottsboro nine were also exonerated--which is better than pardons. Brimner's inclusion of this information gives readers hope that we can all rise above the people we once were.
BOOK TALK THIS WITH YOUR STUDENTS. READ ALOUD EXCERPTS. HELP THEM FIND THEIR OUTRAGE AND THEN LEAVE IT IN THE CLASSROOM LIBRARY TO BE SNATCHED UP! This would also make for an excellent book club book.
A posse of deputized white farmers carrying pistols and shotguns rousted Haywood Patterson and eight other young black me from the forty-two-car Alabama Great Southern Railroad freight train as it rolled to a stop in Paint Rock, Alabama. It was Wednesday, March 25, 1931, at around two o'clock in the afternoon.
My heart sank with the first line of this book, but I couldn't put it down. Brimner is a "go to" author for me. He's written several gripping/riveting books on major historical moments in our country's pursuit of civil rights and this new title did not fail to do the same.
There were so many points when I gasped aloud, just stunned by how blatant the racism was in the Alabama courts towards these young men. (I know the history of the time and place, BUT STILL...) It was clear these men were innocent. The woman who accused them of rape was believed to be lying by several of those involved on the defense and prosecution teams. Another woman who accused at first, changed her statement and said they were innocent. Two doctors testified that their examination had not revealed evidence of rape. Judge Callahan rushed the trials, telling the defense attorney to get on with it. There was not a representative jury and the jury roles had no names of black citizens. And on and on and on. And yet, those defending these young men persevered FOR YEARS. I won't give away the ending verdict.
While reading this book, our world is engaged in #BlackLivesMatter protests, deep thoughtful conversations, new proposed legislation sparked by the terrible murder of George Floyd by a white police officer. This made reading this book all the more chilling for me because in the 89 years since this case started, these absurd, racist events are still happening. Unbelievable. Like another reviewer wrote - I could have lifted the headlines from this case and posted on Twitter and everyone would have thought they were regarding a current event.
Recently, I read a book by Tiffany Jewell stating that we all "carry history" with us--especially black Americans. I'd wondered how we can get that idea across to young teens - that they carry the history of our country with them. What does that mean really? (Credit due - Some teens - especially those who have experienced racism on a regular basis or who have..., may already understand how they carry our history with them every day.) As much as teens might want to believe in "free will," they are not growing up separate from that history. It might be by reading books like those by Brimner as well as titles like "Stamped" by Reynolds & Kendi and "How to be an Anti-racist" by Kendi that help teens see the connections between their lives and not just the recent past, but the past past and the past past past.
And I'll just say, Sheila Washington is my hero. At the end of the book Brimner details how Washington, a black citizen of Alabama, first learned about the Scottsboro boys in the mid-1970's as a child. Later as an adult, she partnered with a state senator to introduce and pass legislation (signed in 2013 by the governor) that would allow for posthumous pardons in cases of racial discrimination. When the legislation was signed in 2013 by the governor, the Scottsboro nine were also exonerated--which is better than pardons. Brimner's inclusion of this information gives readers hope that we can all rise above the people we once were.
BOOK TALK THIS WITH YOUR STUDENTS. READ ALOUD EXCERPTS. HELP THEM FIND THEIR OUTRAGE AND THEN LEAVE IT IN THE CLASSROOM LIBRARY TO BE SNATCHED UP! This would also make for an excellent book club book.
February 27, 2025
One of those pieces of history that I knew nothing about. It basically was like The Central Park 5 but in Alabama in the 1930s. Fascinating!
July 31, 2022
YA nonfiction, Social Justice, Political
This is the story of nine boys who were falsely accused of raping two white women. The boys endured long, unfair trials, and had their lives stolen from them.
This book did a great job of presenting all the information. It also does a great job of showing how biased the justice system is and the power that white women have. These two white women had zero evidence, their stories changed, and one admitted to lying and yet the boys were not declared innocent until after their deaths. Cases like these, of white women using their tears to harm black people, are disgustingly common. This is a more extreme example, and yet it is still a common occurrence.
This book was infuriating to read, but it is a story that needs to be heard. Injustices like these continue to happen to this day and they will keep happening as long as we let them. The American justice system does nothing but criminalize black people in order to imprison and enslave them for the profit of major corporations.
This is the story of nine boys who were falsely accused of raping two white women. The boys endured long, unfair trials, and had their lives stolen from them.
This book did a great job of presenting all the information. It also does a great job of showing how biased the justice system is and the power that white women have. These two white women had zero evidence, their stories changed, and one admitted to lying and yet the boys were not declared innocent until after their deaths. Cases like these, of white women using their tears to harm black people, are disgustingly common. This is a more extreme example, and yet it is still a common occurrence.
This book was infuriating to read, but it is a story that needs to be heard. Injustices like these continue to happen to this day and they will keep happening as long as we let them. The American justice system does nothing but criminalize black people in order to imprison and enslave them for the profit of major corporations.
April 15, 2020
After my 13 yr old son read this as a home school assignment, I read it as well. It is a chilling, critical history about prejudice, what it means to have a jury of your peers, the courage of those who stood up to hate and the 14th Amendment. There are plenty of villains, but the author also explains why Communists got involved and why NAACP did not. The author also tackles the motivations of the various individuals instead of letting them remain caricatures. My son loves reading fantasy, so he found this dry and challenging - I assigned it hoping he will appreciate history and nonfiction. It's a long road ahead for us.
July 10, 2020
I thought this was a well written book. The author told the facts and used the language that would have been used in the 1930's. I agree about needing to remember history.
July 22, 2021
Reading this was a first-hand, eye-opening experience of what black Americans had to go through in our nation's history. The story serves as a reminder to speak out about events that are wrong.
October 31, 2021
A quick read about the Scottsboro Boys. If you're interested in knowing more about what happened, read this book.
August 17, 2021
Larry Dane Brimner’s revealing and forceful book about the tragic plight of the Scottsboro Boys is an excellent, speedy choice for dedicated young adult readers. Brimner avoids becoming mired in detail - perhaps to an unfortunate degree - and instead chooses to bluntly relate events as they occurred. He focuses on the trials of the nine boys and the scramble to put an adequate defense together that would break through the hard, bigoted heads of all-white Alabamian jurors. (There are fascinating parallels to To Kill a Mockingbird, which is partially based off of the Scottsboro Boys’ trial.) The trial scenes are incredibly detailed and quite vivid. However, some of Brimner’s choices do detract from the book.
Brimner begins at the scene of the “crime,” the town of Paint Rock, Alabama on March 25, 1931. The nine black boys have been accused, with no evidence, of a crime widely regarded as the most heinous that African American people could commit in the South - raping white women. The local citizens whipped into a frenzy, law enforcement is nearly overwhelmed by a crazed lynch mob. Over the coming days, weeks, months, and years, the Scottsboro Boys would be shuttled from prejudiced courtroom to prejudiced courtroom as the state of Alabama desperately pursued capital punishment for an act that, although the boys were not guilty, was blown so far out of proportion that it was called by a local newspaper “‘one of the most horrible [crimes] ever perpetrated in the United States’” (23).
Unfortunately, Brimner makes some choices that prevent his book from elevation to the “superb nonfiction” category. The book, if dense, is slim, and no one would have blamed Brimner for adding more detail about the Boys’ six or more years in prison. There’s some mention of cruel treatment by the guards, but Brimner spends the vast majority of his time in the courtroom, depicting scenes which can get a bit stale. Brimner also doesn’t mention how and if the Scottsboro Boys’ plight tied into the Civil Rights Movement of the 50s and 60s. Finally, someone during the publishing process chose to publish neither a map of Tennessee and Alabama nor a dramatis personae. Both of these would have been invaluable while reading. Much of the defense’s case revolved around movements through sleepy Southern towns whose names and locations all too easily blend together. As for the characters... well, there are a lot of them, and in a story with this many moving parts, a one-stop list to keep them all straight would have been nice.
I’m probably being too harsh in my assessment of this book. I have a positive impression of Accused!. Readers will appreciate the careful reconstruction of events, the direct and sometimes biting prose, the seamless integration of primary sources, and the discussions about a sad saga in American history that Brimner’s book will inevitably provoke. But while Accused! is a piece of high-quality nonfiction that is rich with detail and evocatively illustrates a series of outrageous, historic injustices, one can’t help but feel that opportunities were missed.
Brimner begins at the scene of the “crime,” the town of Paint Rock, Alabama on March 25, 1931. The nine black boys have been accused, with no evidence, of a crime widely regarded as the most heinous that African American people could commit in the South - raping white women. The local citizens whipped into a frenzy, law enforcement is nearly overwhelmed by a crazed lynch mob. Over the coming days, weeks, months, and years, the Scottsboro Boys would be shuttled from prejudiced courtroom to prejudiced courtroom as the state of Alabama desperately pursued capital punishment for an act that, although the boys were not guilty, was blown so far out of proportion that it was called by a local newspaper “‘one of the most horrible [crimes] ever perpetrated in the United States’” (23).
Unfortunately, Brimner makes some choices that prevent his book from elevation to the “superb nonfiction” category. The book, if dense, is slim, and no one would have blamed Brimner for adding more detail about the Boys’ six or more years in prison. There’s some mention of cruel treatment by the guards, but Brimner spends the vast majority of his time in the courtroom, depicting scenes which can get a bit stale. Brimner also doesn’t mention how and if the Scottsboro Boys’ plight tied into the Civil Rights Movement of the 50s and 60s. Finally, someone during the publishing process chose to publish neither a map of Tennessee and Alabama nor a dramatis personae. Both of these would have been invaluable while reading. Much of the defense’s case revolved around movements through sleepy Southern towns whose names and locations all too easily blend together. As for the characters... well, there are a lot of them, and in a story with this many moving parts, a one-stop list to keep them all straight would have been nice.
I’m probably being too harsh in my assessment of this book. I have a positive impression of Accused!. Readers will appreciate the careful reconstruction of events, the direct and sometimes biting prose, the seamless integration of primary sources, and the discussions about a sad saga in American history that Brimner’s book will inevitably provoke. But while Accused! is a piece of high-quality nonfiction that is rich with detail and evocatively illustrates a series of outrageous, historic injustices, one can’t help but feel that opportunities were missed.
April 18, 2024
Accused is the incredibly sad story of nine African American boys/young men (Negros as they were referred to at this time in historical terms) accused of the rape of two white girls on a train traveling through Scottsboro, Alabama, and their subsequent trials as they endured all sense of injustice in a biased and prejudicial legal system. Larry Dane Brimner writes a book for high schoolers regarding The Scottsboro Boys. It's a portrait of how unfair the legal system was in 1931.
The alleged incident begins during The Great Depression when two groups of youths, Blacks and Whites, were stealing a ride on the train looking for work. A fight ensued when the White men wanted the train to themselves. The group of Whites were either tossed or jumped from the train as the Blacks assumed control during the scuffle. As a means of revenge, the White youths lodged a complaint and got the assistance of two young white women who maintained that the Blacks had raped them.
What followed was one injustice after another as the Blacks (mostly teens) were brought to trial time and time again with speedy convictions with sentencing by death, only to have their cases retried on appeal. Even after one of the White women recanted her story and said that the two were not raped, the cases went to trial.
Despite the 14th amendment which states, "No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws," the right to fair and due process under the law was ignored. One of the strongest legal arguments was that very few Blacks were ever allowed to serve on juries during that time in southern states known for their racism. The youths spend years in prison for a crime they did not commit.
The alleged incident begins during The Great Depression when two groups of youths, Blacks and Whites, were stealing a ride on the train looking for work. A fight ensued when the White men wanted the train to themselves. The group of Whites were either tossed or jumped from the train as the Blacks assumed control during the scuffle. As a means of revenge, the White youths lodged a complaint and got the assistance of two young white women who maintained that the Blacks had raped them.
What followed was one injustice after another as the Blacks (mostly teens) were brought to trial time and time again with speedy convictions with sentencing by death, only to have their cases retried on appeal. Even after one of the White women recanted her story and said that the two were not raped, the cases went to trial.
Despite the 14th amendment which states, "No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws," the right to fair and due process under the law was ignored. One of the strongest legal arguments was that very few Blacks were ever allowed to serve on juries during that time in southern states known for their racism. The youths spend years in prison for a crime they did not commit.
November 4, 2020
This book is ok with the storytelling but can get boring at times. I will give credit to the author who spent a lot of time researching to make sure this book was nearly perfect on accuracy. However, for a book that has near 170 pages, it felt slow reading as I thought it was repetitive at times as the same info was kinda said over and over again with different wording. This book kind of gives me Christopher Paul Curtis vibes because he writes about segregation a lot but in a historical fiction way, but the similarites end there. I would give this book a three but the pace was too slow and it gets repetitive at times.
October 20, 2020
I started reading this book prior to the Covid 19 pandemic and it was difficult to read then.
I picked it up again this fall and it was even more difficult to read. The unfairness of the way people of color are treated in this country makes my stomach churn. The one of the white accusers in this case admitted that the boys didn't touch her.
If you're interested in history and historical injustice, this book offers lots to think about.
I picked it up again this fall and it was even more difficult to read. The unfairness of the way people of color are treated in this country makes my stomach churn. The one of the white accusers in this case admitted that the boys didn't touch her.
If you're interested in history and historical injustice, this book offers lots to think about.
February 22, 2024
I would like to say I did enjoy this book however it upset me that these boys went through all of this trouble just to be in jail. I feel bad for them and I wish there was a better ending than what happened. But this book did have its ups and downs like every book ever. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It has a lot of turning points and really gets you on the end of your seat.
February 14, 2021
Brimner writes concise books that are always well researched. I hadn't heard anything about this case before. It's an important one to know about. Because it's a short book and because there were so many boys on trial it was a little hard to keep what was going on when and with who straight, but it's a book I'm glad I know about.
May 5, 2021
A frightening glimpse into the capriciousness of the White-dominated South for Black people/men in the 1900s. Probably still accurate in a lot of ways. It was always obvious that the Scottsboro boys were not guilty of what they were accused of but the blatant and egregiousness of the lies that led up to their "trial" was appalling. A hard read.
October 19, 2020
This is a horrifying story of racial injustice in our country's history. The story is complicated, so it was challenging at times to keep all the threads straight, but the account is well-researched and the narrative timely.
December 15, 2019
The bigotry and racism that drove the repeated trials of the boys is clearly presented, as is the timeline from their arrest through their lives after the trials and through their ultimate exoneration. I took off a star because I was deeply uncomfortable with one motif -- the testimony of the women was clearly made up of lies (one women admitted as such almost immediately, pointing out that she was avoiding being jailed herself). But although the motive for denying the defense tactic of putting their past sexual history on trial, to show that they liked to have sex and did it a lot, that motive was racist as part of the attempt to prevent any defense at all. But regardless, it's actual justice to prevent courts from reviewing a woman's sexual history as part of a case involving sexual assault. That wasn't one of the crimes against the boys, even though it was done for the wrong reasons.
It's a flaw in an otherwise solid book about a shameful part of history.
It's a flaw in an otherwise solid book about a shameful part of history.
February 9, 2020
Good account of a complicated story but, especially in a book for young people, more detailed context about the Jim Crow era is needed.
September 25, 2020
Chilling nonfiction.
January 3, 2022
Honestly, the rating is only low because the book itself did not flow well and some parts were too drug out.
July 22, 2022
I learned a lot about something I knew nothing about that was so important to our history.
November 1, 2023
I just didn't find the writing style engaging, so I just decided to stop reading it.
May 30, 2025
This was a very good read about tragic injustice. How and why people treat ither humans this way is shocking. Story well told.
December 4, 2019
Interesting bit of history!
July 16, 2021
I think part of what affected my opinion of this book was the Kindle format in which I read the book. Even with that, however, Brimner skated through so many names, throwing them at the readers with little backstory and even less reminders of their place in the story throughout the narrative. Since I did not have much context for this story - something I definitely want and need to rectify - I struggled to place all of the names. I know that the high schoolers intended to read this book would also struggle for much the same reason. Brimner moves entirely too quickly and at much too high of a surface level. Even though a lot happens, Brimner conveys almost none of it, as if he believes that a high schooler could not handle a 250 or 300 page book. Disappointing.
November 11, 2019
Even though the story has to go through a lot of legal stuff, the narrative flows well and keeps its focus on the fates of the boys involved. There are some really great photographs, good use of quotations to place the reader in the story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews