Their trials and the electrocutions became a cause clbre similar to the Scottsboro Case of the 1930s. The mass executions were the largest in Virginia in modern times. You have permission to edit this article. Doris Gravely, 80, of Martinsville, a first cousin of Joe Henry Hampton, the first of the seven executed, talked about the case in her living room last month. On January 30, 1951, 400 protesters arrived in Richmond, appealing to Battle on the issue of racial disparity in sentencing. "My daddy was Hampton's uncle," she said. [7] From 1908 to 1951, only Texas, North Carolina and Georgia executed more black men for rape than did Virginia. The rapes occurred on Saturday, January 8, 1949, after Ruby Stroud Floyd, a 32-year-old white woman, entered a black neighborhood in Martinsville, Virginia, to collect money for clothing she had sold. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Records unavailable at the time of the Martinsville Seven appeals show that from 1626 until 1908, at least three whites and 99 blacks were hanged for rape or attempted rape in Virginia. Grayson said she once told her father that she wanted to meet her grandfather. All six juries convicted the young men of rape and recommended the death penalty. What makes the Justices so elite? Still, preparations for the executions proceeded. Although it was dark, Floyd testified in all six trials identifying each of the seven. He said none of the men had attorneys present while they were interrogated. Gravely also does not believe everything has come out about the case. Year should not be greater than current year. After the convictions, the seven were represented by Richmond-area civil-rights lawyers Martin A. Martin, Samuel W. Tucker, Roland D. Ealey and Oliver W. Hill, and others. Required fields are marked *. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, North Carolina, U.S., Death Indexes, 1908-2004, U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current, U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. In this period of the second Red Scare, Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee had raised alarms about purported communist influence in government and society. Man died Wednesday. The first man to die in Virginia's electric chair was Henry Smith, a black man who raped an elderly white woman. New York, Today: On January 8, 1949, from the dingy negro slums of Martinville, Virginia, staggered attractive, dark-haired Mrs. Ruby Stroud Floyd (32), shouting that she . "Their punishment did not fit the crime. The trial transcripts show that on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 8, 1949, Ruby Stroud Floyd, the 32-year-old wife of a department-store manager, entered a black area of the city to collect. "I don't want to bring that up again.". The Civil Rights Congress pickets the White House February 1, 1951 demanding President Harry Truman stop the execution of the Martinsville 7 seven African American men sentenced to death for the rape of a white woman in Virginia. All 45 men executed in Virginias electric chair in 1951 for the crime of rape were black men convicted of assaulting white women. New York Public Library. The sentences were carried out in February 1951, the largest group of executions for crimes against a single victim in state history and one of the largest in U.S. history. Their petition does not argue that the men were innocent, but says their trials were unfair and the punishment was extreme and unjust. Rarely. The seven men, most in their late teens or early 20s, were: Grayson, Frank Hairston Jr.; Howard Lee Hairston; James Luther Hairston; Joe Henry Hampton; Booker Millner; and John Clabon Taylor. Now, They Have Been Pardoned", A Year of History: Martinsville Seven executions remain 'a raw wound' for many, "Seeking Justice For The Martinsville Seven", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Martinsville_Seven&oldid=1137887829, Frank Hairston Jr., age 20, confessed to rape, Booker T. Millner, age 22, said he was present, but did not take part. 7 Black men were executed for an alleged rape in 1951. He kissed us and they took him away," he told The Associated Press in an interview after the announcement. Within hours, they admitted to having "sex" with Floyd or admitted to watching their friends have intercourse with the thirty-two-year-old. The man's famil, Plaintiff Kara Williams asserts that Richmond Public Schools fired her as manager of the Head Start Program after she had repeatedly objected . [2] The men were executed in early February. Since they ranged widely in experience, he asked the more experienced ones to aid the newer attorneys. The trial transcripts show that on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 8, 1949, Ruby Stroud Floyd, the 32-year-old wife of a department-store manager, entered a black area of the city to collect money owed her by Ruth Pettie, a woman to whom she had sold clothing. In 1866, the state legislature changed the law so that execution remained an option for both races in rape cases. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. He further stated, "We all deserve a criminal justice system that is fair, equal, and gets it rightno matter who you are or what you look like. The "Martinsville Seven" were convicted of raping 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd, who had gone to a predominantly Black neighborhood in Martinsville, Virginia, on Jan. 8, 1949, to collect money for . In their first appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals in 1950, the lawyers argued among other things that the death sentence for rape in Virginia was reserved for blacks. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. Defense lawyers claimed that the initial confessions were forced by the local sheriff. Failed to report flower. After a long legal battle led by the NAACP and a grassroots campaign led by the Civil Rights Congress (CRC), the seven were executed in 1951 on February 2nd and February 5th. The next morning, a Friday, 75 people were praying at the Capitol when several blocks away at the penitentiary on Spring Street, Department of Corrections records show that Hampton, 21, was seated in the electric chair at 8:04 a.m. Switch to the dark mode that's kinder on your eyes at night time. The attack occurred in Cherrytown, the black section of Martinsville. At the time, all 45 men executed for rape in Virginia since the state began using the electric chair in 1908 were blacks convicted of attacking white women. Though Governor William Tuck initially agreed to a stay during appellate litigation, by late July 1950, newly elected Governor John S. Battle refused to commute the men's sentences, saying he was horrified by the rapes. On January 8, 1949, a white woman named Ruby Stroud Floyd was raped in a black part of Martinsville, Virginia. By the spring of 1949, all seven men were charged with rape. That they could be standing there for photos with those smug looks on their faces like they have something to be proud of is just beyond my comprehension ! Every single one of the 45 men executed by Virginias electric chair for rape at that point were African American men charged with assaulting white women. Martin and his uncle later testified that the uncle warned Floyd not to make the trip in the dark. To protect them from mob violence, they took them to other jails outside Henry County. Photo by Henry Burroughts. Previous actions by civil rights attorneys had resulted in changes in the Virginia process, improving their procedures. ", Hodge-Muse says, "This community does not have a hateful attitude that would lend itself to violence that's not our culture, and I think it speaks well of the black and white community that we have never had that type of meanness.". A system error has occurred. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. The Martinsville 7 were seven African American men convicted of raping a white woman in 1949. There were no black jurors because the prosecution vetoed all potential black jurors. After being questioned by local police officers, the defendants initially confessed to committing or witnessing the crime. How To Unsubscribe From Emails and Push Notifications. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. The trial lasted for eleven days, during which the jury heard testimonies from both sides, including medical evidence of Floyds physical injuries and accounts from black witnesses whom Floyd appealed to for help after the assault. Another person who wants to learn more is Denise Grayson, 46, of Raleigh, N.C., a granddaughter of Francis Grayson. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam granted posthumous pardons Tuesday to seven Black men who were executed in 1951 for the rape of a White woman, in a case that attracted pleas for mercy from around the world and in recent years has been denounced as an example of racial disparity in the use of the death penalty. By the spring of 1949, all seven men were charged with rape. The "Martinsville Seven" were convicted of raping 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd, who had gone to a predominantly Black neighborhood in Martinsville, Virginia, on Jan. 8, 1949, to collect money . Verify and try again. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. "It means so much to me," he said of the pardon. After being questioned by local police officers, the defendants initially confessed to committing or witnessing the crime. NAACP officials focused national attention to the case, hoping to delay or overturn the death penalty judgment. Before their executions, protesters picketed at the White House, and the governor's office received letters from around the world asking for mercy. [2], The officials separated the men. The seven men, ranging in age from 18-37 years old, were arrested in 1949 for the reported rape of 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd, a white woman who lived in Martinsville. There were six trials two defendants elected to be tried together held back to back, none of them lasting more than a day. It was the largest mass execution for rape that had been reported in the United States. For more information and other images, see www.flickr.com/photos/washington_area_spark/sets/72157643 Photo by Washington Daily News. Blacks makeup 13% of the population but commit the majority of violent crimes in this country. Mrs. "This was the Jim Crow South; this was prior to the civil-rights movement why would she be there," she asked. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. It is a filthy, sick crime," Hodge-Muse said. Three worked in a sawmill, one was a plasterer's helper, one a stonecutter and one a foundry man. Appeals to the Virginia and U.S. supreme courts followed but also failed. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password. The original trial records, including hundreds of pages of transcripts, are on file at the Martinsville Circuit Court clerk's office. All they are celebrating is the dismantling of White laws, laws which have held . Black men executed in 1951 for the rape of a white woman granted posthumous pardons | CBC News Loaded. The case of the Martinsville Seven was cited during the legislative debate as an example of the disproportionate use of the death penalty against people of color. In Martinsville, the executions are no longer a common topic of conversation, but they remain on the minds of many African-Americans. Their trials and the electrocutions became a cause clbre similar to the Scottsboro Case of the 1930s. 69-year-old suffers stroke in his N.C. home; Realtor showing house leaves him there. The night of Feb. 1, 1951, hundreds of people of both races gathered at the state Capitol to pray. "Most of the time, the families, the people who were of age in that era, they talked about it in private homes, in churches and other places and always felt as though it was really a serious injustice. In March, Northam, a Democrat, signed legislation passed by the Democrat-controlled legislature abolishing the state's death penalty. / CBS/AP. You are using an out of date browser. The Library of Virginia has the letter from the lawyer, Martin, asking for execution data. All seven men were convicted and sentenced to death within eight days. After a long legal battle led by the NAACP and a grassroots campaign led by the Civil Rights Congress, the seven were executed in 1951 on February 2nd and February 5th. Now they've been pardoned | CNN, Shocking moment thief is burned to death by villagers who say he led a violent gang. Do I see a pattern here? The February 10, 1951 national edition of the Afro American headlines the mass execution of the Martinsville 7 in Virginia. Virginia had historically convicted and executed numerous black men accused of raping white women; for most of its history, only blacks were sentenced to death for rape. Much of that attention was focused on Richmond, home of the governor, the legislature and the state's top civil-rights lawyers, as well as the location of what was then the Virginia State Penitentiary and its electric chair. Why the Crusade on the Martinsville Seven: 1950. washingtonspark.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/1950-11-08-ma Martinsville 7 They shall not die: 1950, Martinville 7, subject of death penalty protests, later executed: 1950, Demand No Execution of Martinsville 7: 1951. www.flickr.com/photos/washington_area_spark/sets/72157643 Afro Headlines Martinsville, Va. Mass Executions: 1951, Freezing pickets call for Martinsville 7 clemency: 1951. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? Mrs. Thurman B. Towill, of Governor Battle's office, looks at stacks of protest letters regarding the Martinsville Seven case. The propaganda emanating from these sources bears no semblance of truth and is designed for no other purpose than to foment ill feeling between the races and to mislead those who have no knowledge of the true fact of these cases.. What happened to the white American Ruby Stroud Floyd more than 70 years ago in a black neighborhood in the small town of Martinsville, Virginia, will probably remain unexplained forever. From left to right: John Clabon Taylor, Joe Henry Hampton, Francis DeSales Grayson, Booker T. Millner, James Luther Hairston, Howard Lee Hairston, and Frank Hairston. The Civil Rights Congress pickets the White House January 30, 1951 demanding President Harry Truman stop the execution of the Martinsville 7 seven African American men sentenced to death for the rape of a white woman in Virginia. "The Martinsville Seven were not given adequate due process 'simply for being black,' they were sentenced to death for a crime that a white person would not have been executed for 'simply for being black,' and they were killed, by the Commonwealth, 'simply for being black,' " the advocates wrote in their letter to Northam. This page was last edited on 6 February 2023, at 23:13. All of them were tried by all-white juries. She had previously distributed Jehovah's Witnesses materials in the neighborhood. "I remember the very day the police came to the door. Each were. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Any monthly plan. Within hours . 1 ranking in country. 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"[6], In December 2020, the Martinsville 7 Project asked Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to pardon the Martinsville Seven posthumously and issue an apology. I'm grateful to the advocates and families of the Martinsville Seven for their dedication and perseverance. Their petition does not argue that the men were innocent, but says their trials were unfair and the punishment was extreme and unjust. Each man was charged with rape and aiding and abetting rape both crimes punishable by death at the time. Northam has now granted a total of 604 pardons since taking office in 2018, more than the previous nine governors combined, his administration announced Tuesday. The judge presiding was Kennon C. COPYRIGHT (C) 2017 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - BLACK THEN "We all deserve a criminal justice system that is fair, equal, and gets it rightno matter who you are or what you look like. The first four were executed at 15-minute intervals on February 2. "But to kill them and not even really know that all of them even committed this crime? He and his older brother (below) were not related to Frank Hairston Jr. Francis DeSales Grayson, age 38 and of Richmond, Virginia, denied having sex with Floyd; only defendant without local ties. This legal argument of a discriminatory death penalty was denied by the courts at that time, but by 1977 the U.S. Supreme Court began to consider the effects of race on the death penalty. He resented being under so much pressure. James Walter Grayson is the son of Francis DeSales Grayson, who was one of the seven. Virginia Gov. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Try again later. "They won't discuss that at all," she said. The "Martinsville Seven," as the men became known, were all convicted of raping 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd, a white woman who had gone to a predominantly Black neighbourhood in. The last to be arrested, Joe Hampton, was taken into custody on January 10. The "Martinsville Seven," as the men became known, were all convicted of raping 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd, a white woman who had gone to a predominantly black neighborhood in. And the real victim Ruby Stroud Floyd didnt even get a mention from those coon descendants of her rapists ! On the evening of January 8, 1949, Ruby Stroud Floyd accused 13 black men of raping her while she passed through a poor African American neighborhood in Martinsville, Virginia. [6], No trial lasted more than a day, and the longest jury deliberation lasted less than two hours. They would soon be handling the volatile case of seven black men charged with raping a white woman, and Whittle admonished them that the accused "will be tried as though both parties were members of the same race. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. While the NAACP focused on racial equality as part of Cold War American democratic visions, CRC mobilized left-based organizations and newspapers from around the world to pressure state and national officials to intervene. They noted the assaults of Floyd had no evidence of homicidal intent. His signed confession, like those of the others, was read into the record and can be found in the old files. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). The Martinsville 7 were charged with the rape of a white woman, Ruby Stroud Floyd, in a black neighborhood of Martinsville, Virginia on January 8, 1949. GREAT NEWS! Another who believes the past is best left alone is Charlie Martin, the young boy who accompanied the victim and repeatedly testified at the trials. This is a carousel with slides. Suggest Edits . The image is a Newspaper Enterprise Association photograph printed in a newspaper that has not been identified. Here you'll find all collections you've created before. 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