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Article: Rediscovering 'An American Tragedy'; Documentary offers a fresh look at the injustice suffered by 'The Scottsboro Boys'.(TV Plus)
- Article from:
- The Boston Herald
- Article date:
- April 1, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Boston Herald. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Every so often, the shadowy hand of racial prejudice becomes glaringly visible. A Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Ala. A Rodney King gets beaten by police officers in Los Angeles.
One such event happened in 1931, when nine black teenagers riding a freight train through northeast Alabama were charged with raping two white women on the train. Despite contradictions in testimony, no physical evidence, a recantation by one of the women, worldwide protest and the fact that the convictions were twice overturned, the nine teens - who came to be known as The Scottsboro Boys, after the county seat where they were arraigned and initially ...