I will not have it otherwise.". Floyd identified two of her rapists as Grayson and Hampton, but she could not identify the others. The night of Feb. 1, 1951, hundreds of people of both races gathered at the state Capitol to pray. Their trials and the electrocutions became a cause clbre similar to the Scottsboro Case of the 1930s. 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. Resend Activation Email. There were no black jurors because the prosecution vetoed all potential black jurors. For more information and other images, see www.flickr.com/photos/washington_area_spark/sets/72157643 Photo by Washington Daily News. Defense lawyers claimed that the initial confessions were forced by the local sheriff. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. You can always change this later in your Account settings. The Civil Rights Congress defended the men originally, and later conducted two marches and other attempts to raise awareness and conduct a public campaign on behalf of their agenda. "But we don't really know what happened.". [2] The NAACP did not want the CRC to participate in the litigation directly. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. On 8 January 1949, 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd was out collecting money for some clothes she had recently sold. All but one man were in their early 20s. 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. After the verdicts and sentencings, the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals later rejected a racial-prejudice claim filed on behalf of the Martinsville Seven, ruling that sentences did not, "depend upon the race of the accused, but upon the circumstances, aggravation and enormity of the crime proven in each case." The Martinsville 7 were seven African American men convicted of raping a white woman in 1949. It was a dramatic shift for Virginia, a state that had the second-highest number of executions in the U.S. 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 ! Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. The seven were charged with the rape of Ruby Stroud Floyd in a black neighborhood of Martinsville, Virginia on January 8, 1949. "I remember the very day the police came to the door. "Thank you, Jesus. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Black men executed in 1951 for the rape of a white woman granted posthumous pardons | CBC News Loaded. Sorry! His signed confession, like those of the others, was read into the record and can be found in the old files. John S. Battle to grant clemency to no avail. If people like George Floyd really did die "simply for being black," how can we doubt that black men in the . They applied the bulk of the funds raised to the defense of clients. All but one were young and single, and all were employed three in a sawmill, one a plasterer's helper, one a stonecutter and one a foundry man. 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 . [6], No trial lasted more than a day, and the longest jury deliberation lasted less than two hours. On January 30, 1951, 400 protesters arrived in Richmond, appealing to Battle on the issue of racial disparity in sentencing. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The prosecution pointed out that Floyd had gone to an area considered unsafe for white women, ignored warnings of black residents of staying too long there, and not been attentive to her surroundings or the men she passed. She had previously distributed Jehovah's Witnesses materials in the neighborhood. But on July 24, 1950, Battle turned them down, writing: "No fair minded person can read the evidence in these cases without being convinced, beyond the shadow of a doubt, of the guilt of all the defendants.". John S. Battle. The Martinsville Seven were a group of young black men executed in 1951 after being convicted of raping a white woman. Although it was dark, Floyd testified in all six trials identifying each of the seven. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. [15] It is the largest execution for rape charges in the United States. All seven men were convicted and sentenced to death within eight days. In Richmond, more than 200 people, most wearing black armbands, marched to Capitol Square from a memorial meeting at Third Street Bethel AME Church. Image courtesy of Papers of the Civil Rights Congress. Thank you, Lord," he said, as he wept while being embraced by two other descendants of the men. All seven men were convicted and sentenced to death within eight days. While we can't change the past, I hope today's action brings them some small measure of peace. 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. At age 37, World War II veteran Francis DeSales Grayson was the oldest of the defendants. All six juries convicted the young men of rape and recommended the death penalty. [8] Since Virginia started using an electric chair in 1908, all 45 of the men sentenced to death for rape had been black men convicted of raping white women. A group of young Black men executed after being convicted by all-White juries of allegedly raping a White woman have been pardoned in Virginia 70 years after their deaths. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. According to historian Eric W. Rise, this case "demonstrated the power of the southern legal system to enforce codes of racial behavior."[2]. Persons: howard lee hairston, ruby stroud floyd , liz ryan, frank hairston, james grayson, annie hobson, booker t millner, john battle, mary wade, ruby floyd, james hairston, james luther hairston, frank hairston jr, joe henry hampton. Both African American newspapers, the Richmond Afro-American and Norfolk Journal and Guide concluded the national and international crusades by the CRC hurt the defendants' chances for clemency. 7 Black men executed in 1951 for rape granted posthumous pardons The Martinsville Seven were convicted of raping 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd, a white woman who visited a predominantly Black community in 1949 to collect money for outfits she sold. You can cancel at any time. Photo by Henry Burroughts. When the NAACP appealed their convictions, its defense team noted that when the police had questioned the men, they had been drinking for some time, and they were not allowed to consult lawyers or their families. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. We encourage you all to respect the dead and accord the family heartbroken with the loss of a cherished one, some privacy as you leave a message in the comment session. All of them were tried by all-White juries. And will be dearly missed by family, friends, and everyone. They should not have been executed," he added. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. "It means so much to me," he said of the pardon. There was an error deleting this problem. "[6], In December 2020, the Martinsville 7 Project asked Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to pardon the Martinsville Seven posthumously and issue an apology. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. There was considerable community sentiment against the men. Make sure that the file is a photo. Verify and try again. He said, 'Well, read the book the Martinsville Seven. 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. A unique soul with a great personality has an amazing sense of humour, diligent and caring. Switch to the dark mode that's kinder on your eyes at night time. All six juries convicted the young men of rape and recommended the death penalty. This page was last edited on 6 February 2023, at 23:13. The campaigns to stop the legal lynching of the Martinsville 7 and Willie McGee in Mississippi were met with red-baiting and gruesome determination by the white elite to protect strict racial codes. "[17], National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, False accusations of rape as justification for lynchings, "These 7 Black Men Were Executed For An Alleged Rape. [7] From 1908 to 1951, only Texas, North Carolina and Georgia executed more black men for rape than did Virginia. 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. Ruby belonged to a predominantly black neighborhood in Martinsville,. Drag images here or select from your computer for Ruby Stroud Floyd memorial. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. based on information from your browser. Newly elected Virginia Governor John S. Battle refused their request for clemency. Four of the Martinsville Seven were electrocuted on February 2, 1951. Some questioned the accuracy of parts of the confessions, and at least one said he did not have intercourse with Floyd and that he did not see Floyd resist anyone. Two weeks after Whittle's warning, the Martinsville defendants were convicted and sentenced to join them. Within hours, they admitted to having "sex" with Floyd or admitted to watching their friends have intercourse with the thirty-two-year-old. Please join us to mourn the passing of Ruby Stroud Floyd. He sobbed loudly when Northam told the family members he would grant the pardons after meeting with them Tuesday. Though they varied somewhat in detail, the accounts of what happened that night from the perpetrators, the victim, Martin and other witnesses in large part agreed. 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. Our deepest condolences and heartfelt prayers are with the family and friends. The Library of Virginia has the letter from the lawyer, Martin, asking for execution data. You can directly shop your flowers on Amazon. 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 Martinsville . On January 31, a mass demonstration of over 400 took place in Richmond to demand a halt to the planned executions despite the virulent racist opposition of many white supremacists. It must be tried as though both parties were members of the same race. Four of the men were executed in Virginia's electric chair on Feb. 2, 1951. When the cheerleading coach broke the news to Katrina Kohel that she was the only one left on the cheer squad, Kohel was determined to compete anyway. During the eleven-day trials, juries 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. Floyd did not know where the woman lived, so she enlisted the help of 11-year-old Charlie Martin, son of a "colored" woman she knew, to guide her. As the final execution dates of Feb. 2 and Feb. 5, 1951, approached the governor's office was flooded with thousands of telegrams, including one from Moscow, asking that the men not be executed. The hope generated by the Scottsboro campaign in the 1930s was followed by bitter setbacks in the post-World War II period. Two of the men were tried together. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? A prosecutor asked him: "Charlie, do you know what happens to little boys who tell lies when they die?". "This is about righting wrongs," Northam said. The first man to die in Virginia's electric chair was Henry Smith, a black man who raped an elderly white woman. 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. On the evening of January 8, 1949, a 32-year-old White woman, Ruby Stroud Floyd accused 13 Black men of raping her while she had gone to a predominantly Black neighborhood in Martinsville . The seven men, most in their late teens or early 20s, were: Grayson, Millner, Frank Hairston Jr.; Howard Lee Hairston; James Luther Hairston; Joe Henry Hampton; and John Clabon Taylor. But Northam said Tuesday that the death penalty for rape was applied almost exclusively to Black people. Rise said two men said they had consensual sex with her, one man denied any involvement, and another man said he was so intoxicated he could not remember what happened. *. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. He resented being under so much pressure. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. It is not known whether Floyd is still alive and if so, where. 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. To protect them from mob violence, they took them to other jails outside Henry County. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Every single one of the 45 men executed by Virginias electric chair for the crime of rape at that point in time were African American men charged with assaulting white women. 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. 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 Martinsville . One telegram from Moscow was signed by "workers in science, literature, the arts," including composers Dmitri Shostakovich and Sergei Prokofiev. The Martinsville 7, seven African American men sentenced to death for the rape of a white woman in Virginia are shown in a group photograph while in prison in 1950. August (1992): 461-490; Eric W. Rise, The Martinsville Seven: Race Rape and Capital Punishment (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1995). {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Independent Contractor (Newspaper Carrier), Virginia railroad union says safety concerns have been rising amid cost-saving moves, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office ends affiliation with Reelz TV show 'On Patrol: Live', Former Virginia basketball coach Terry Holland dies after battling Alzheimer's. It's even worse than that. Now they've been pardoned | CNN, Shocking moment thief is burned to death by villagers who say he led a violent gang. 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This browser does not support getting your location. In his study on the case, Rise concluded that, "At a time when African-Americans were beginning to assert their civil rights vigorously, the executions provided a stark reminder of the harsh treatment reserved for blacks who violated Southern racial codes.". Together representatives, both black and white, of the CRC and NAACP, as well as other citizens, met with Battle in June 1950 to appeal for a pardon or clemency for the defendants in the case. (Figures for 1949 are not available, but one-third of the 1,505 rape victims in the state in 2009 were black women. What makes the Justices so elite? Although the defense attorneys pointed out mitigating circumstances, the juries quickly convicted each defendant and sentenced them to execution in the electric chair. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). "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. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Mrs. Thurman B. Towill, of Governor Battle's office, looks at stacks of protest letters regarding the Martinsville Seven case. James Walter Grayson is the son of Francis DeSales Grayson, who was one of the seven. The CRC focused on producing pamphlets and publicity for outside campaigns to raise awareness about the case, including internationally, and hoped to put pressure on government officials. The Martinsville 7 were seven African American men sentenced to death for the rape of a white woman in Virginia. The appellate courts upheld the convictions and sentences, and the US Supreme Court twice refused to hear the cases. Ruby Stroud Floyd Obituary: In the loving memory of Ruby Stroud Floyd, we are saddened to inform you that Ruby Stroud Floyd, a beloved and loyal friend, has passed away. "These men were executed because they were Black, and that's not right," Northam said. You are using an out of date browser. The low IQ low life disregard they are the biggest killers of themselves. Failed to remove flower. For a PDF of this 8 x 11, one-sided, flyer, see washingtonspark.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/1950-11-08-ma For more information and related images, see flic.kr/s/aHsjWUExj5. The seven executed were Francis Grayson, James L. Hairston, John Claybon Taylor, Frank Hairston, Jr., Booker T. Millner, Howard Lee Hairston and Joe Henry Hampton. 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. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Oops, we were unable to send the email. SHELBY- Annie "Ruby" Raines Stroud, 89, of 329 Reece Road, Shelby, departed this life on April 11, 2015, at Hospice of Wendover. For the first time, records were kept at a central location. Virginia law authorized capital punishment for accessories, parties to the act of rape who did not take part in the act. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. And the real victim Ruby Stroud Floyd didn't even get a mention from those coon descendants of her rapists ! Tony L. Millner, vice president of the Martinsville NAACP chapter, said he was a child when it happened. Before their executions, protesters picketed at the White House, and the governor's office received letters from around the world asking for mercy. All they are celebrating is the dismantling of White laws, laws which have held . The campaign included picket lines, post cards and telegrams, a demonstration by hundreds rallying in Richmond to try to persuade Gov. Previous actions by civil rights attorneys had resulted in changes in the Virginia process, improving their procedures. 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 . In May, Northamannounced new steps to streamline the pardon process, including increased staff and a new petition portal that allows electronic tracking submission and tracking of pardon requests, CBS affiliate WDBJ reported. Grayson said he was fouryears old when his father was executed. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. 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. Howard Lee Hairston, age 20, denied having sex with Floyd. Family members linked to this person will appear here. The" Martinsville Seven," as the men became known, were all convicted of raping 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd, a white woman on Jan. 8, 1949. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. The CRC in turn criticized the NAACP for its reliance on a legal strategy that had a dubious chance of success in a southern state where rigid Jim Crow was enforced. [2][13] The CRC began to organize mass actions in Richmond. Do you find this information helpful? In 1866, the state legislature changed the law so that execution remained an option for both races in rape cases. By the spring of 1949, all seven men were charged with rape. [2] A relative of the Hairstons has said that their family tradition always said that Floyd had been having an affair with one of the defendants, but this was not explored at trial. Footage too graphic to publish shows the man . He kissed us and they took him away," he told The Associated Press in an interview after the announcement. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. [14], After exhausting the appeals process, with the US Supreme Court twice declining to hear the case, the NAACP and CRC began to appeal to executive offices. "I think I touched a nerve. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? 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.. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Grayson said he was 4 years old when his father was executed. "Their punishment did not fit the crime. There were six trials two defendants elected to be tried together held back to back, none of them lasting more than a day. 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. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. THIS is the harrowing moment vengeful villagers burned to death the alleged ringleader of a violent gang they say had been terrorising them for months. Northam said some of the defendants were impaired at the time of their arrests or unable to read confessions they signed. Rudolph McCollum Jr., a former Richmond mayor who is the great-nephew of Francis DeSales Grayson and the nephew of another one of the executed men, Booker T. Millner, told Northam the executions represent "a wound that continues to mar Virginia's history and the efforts to move beyond its dubious past." Virginias court system repeatedly rejected the NAACPs arguments and the US Supreme Court rejected the case twice without review. First arrested for the crime was Frank Hairston, Jr. and Booker T. Millner, and soon James Luther Hairston, Howard Lee Hairston, John Clabon Taylor, Francis DeSales Grayson, then James Henry Hampton were gathered as additional suspects. 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. But, she said, "It's been so long, ain't no need of digging in it now.". "It means so much to me," he said of the pardon. Save to. [2], The officials separated the men. 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. Niggers are HARDWIRED TO SELF-DESTRUCT . Unanimous juries recommended death sentences at the end of each trial. By the spring of 1949, all seven men were charged with rape. You must log in or register to reply here. But, none was selected for any of the seven juries, as the prosecutors rejected all of them on various grounds. The Martinsville 7 were African-American young men accused of the rape of a white woman, Ruby Stroud Floyd, on January 8, 1949 in Martinsville, Virginia. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. 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. 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