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Cry Freedom

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Submitted By estomwaura
Words 407
Pages 2
ESTONE NJUGUNA
I.D. 000447804

THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS
This account clearly depicts the civil rights violation and the extent to which racism was deep rooted especially in the Southern states. The entire systems in place did not favor black people and harsh conclusions were drawn without enough or substantial evidence. The way the white’s reacted after the announcement of the invasion and their regrouping at the railway station armed with guns shows the urge to kill and eliminate black people. It was widely believed that the black men’s desire was to rape white girls, a notion that further worsened the hatred among the two races. To substantiate this belief, the two girls who claimed to be victims of rape knew pretty well that they would cover their immoralities by framing the black boys and still get away with their sins by attracting the mercies of the entire white community.
Judicial System
The right to a fair trial during this era of civil strife was a more than a privilege among the black community. The judicial system: prosecuting counsel, the judges and the defense lawyers was comprised of white people only. That meant that as a black person, getting legal representation was a compromise since you were at the mercies of white attorneys. According to this case, the way the New York attorney describes his clients after going back home leaves a lot to be desired. He even goes further to confess that his clients were guilty, an act that can only be referred to as being against the ethics of his profession.
In addition to this, the courthouses lacked impartiality towards the black community. Assumptions and biased decisions appear to be taking precedence over justice in this scenario. It is quite clear that the witnesses given were contradicting. The two girls for example both gave conflicting accounts of the occurrence. The other witnesses who testified also

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