Cover, Alabama Justice, Scottsboro – A Story in Block Prints, 1932 Illustrated and written by Lin Shi Khan and Ralph Austin (American, b.1912) USA Ink and pencil on brown craft paper 83.3.3395 This unique book recounts the story of the "Scottsboro Boys" – nine African-American youths who were convicted of raping two white women. The group was swiftly brought to trial. They received legal representation only on the first day of the trial, and even though no real evidence was presented, all were convicted, with eight sentenced to death. The case provoked a storm of protest from groups in the North and South, including the Communist Party. They were outraged, claiming the defendants had been framed, and arranged for their affiliate, the International Labor Defense, to take up their defense. Even though the protests, which lasted over 30 years, led to two U.S. Supreme Court decisions overturning the convictions, each of the defendants spent from six to nineteen years in prison. This illustrated book provides an interpretation not only for the trial but also of the social injustices suffered by African-Americans at that time. Hand-written captions help interpret the images. In this illustration a key moment of the trial is shown as the judge passes his sentence. The artist has replaced the judicial robes with the white clothing worn by the Ku Klux Klan. The judge bangs his gavel in judgment, his arm is raised in a Nazi salute and a noose hangs down, all indications of the court’s predetermined guilty verdict. Back to Political Propaganda Main Back to Collections Main