John S. Battle. It is a filthy, sick crime," Hodge-Muse said. *. "Thank you, Jesus. Tony L. Millner, vice president of the Martinsville NAACP chapter, said he was a child when it happened. "I remember the very day the police came to the door. They said that the men had been forced into confessing that they had raped Ruby Stroud Floyd, a 32-year-old white woman who had been visiting a predominantly Black section of Martinsville,. Required fields are marked *. 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. By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. Efforts by the defense team to change the trial's venue from the Martinsville Circuit Courton the grounds that sensationalist press about the events made a fair trial impossiblewere unsuccessful. In their appeals, Martin and the NAACP discussed the unfairness of the venue, the pressure on later juries to arrive at the same sentence as the earlier ones, and the historical racial disparities in application of death penalty sentences in the state. 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. The juries were all white and all male. On January 8, 1949, a white woman named Ruby Stroud Floyd was raped in a black part of Martinsville, Virginia. "This is about righting wrongs," Northam said. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Ruby Stroud Floyd always brought light to every room entered. While Ruby Stroud Floyd was being treated in hospital after the alleged rape, police arrested six suspects, and two days later a seventh. Washington and Lee University law professor David Bruck said that even if the trials were fair and the men guilty, "the idea that you could have a 45-to-nothing ratio and that does not prove anything tells you that this was simply a judicial system that was not prepared to do the right thing.". 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. Black men executed in 1951 for the rape of a white woman granted posthumous pardons | CBC News Loaded. 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. I'm grateful to the advocates and families of the Martinsville Seven for their dedication and perseverance. Weve updated the security on the site. It was the largest mass execution for rape that had been reported in the United States. Gravely also does not believe everything has come out about the case. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. Meanwhile, other demonstrators picketed the White House in support of the sevcen. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. He was appalled at the nature of the crime.[2]. COPYRIGHT (C) 2017 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - BLACK THEN
Although the defense attorneys pointed out mitigating circumstances, the juries quickly convicted each defendant and sentenced them to execution in the electric chair. 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 email does not appear to be a valid email address. Based on her account, in which she claimed to have been raped by 13 black men,[3] the police quickly arrested Frank Hairston Jr. and Booker Millner. Floyd identified two of her rapists as Grayson and Hampton, but she could not identify the others. Floyd identified two of her rapists as Grayson and Hampton, but she could not identify the others. ). 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. 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. [12] The NAACP's interest was in establishing legal precedent "for the benefit of due process and equal protection in general and the Negroes' rights in particular. 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 . The Seven were executed at the Virginia State Penitentiary in early February 1951. From left to right: Booker T. Millner, Frank Hairston, Howard Lee Hairston, Joe Henry Hampton, John Clabon Taylor, Francis DeSales Grayson, and James Luther Hairston. Photo by Henry Burroughts. State And Regional Martinsville Film To Be Produced By Charlottesville Activist And Uvas Center For Politics. She said that she had been raped at least 13 times. 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. Did You Know That Disney Released A Cartoon Featuring A Freed Slave As The Hero? [15] It is the largest execution for rape charges in the United States. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. The image is a Civil Rights Congress flyer for a rally in New York City in 1950. When she and the boy returned, Hampton said he grabbed her and the others joined in the assault, according to his confession. [2], Rise says that the white community disdained Ruby Floyd for her missionary work with the Jehovah's Witnesses and for her willingness to enter the black part of Martinsville. The Martinsville 7, seven African American men sentenced to death for the rape of a white woman in Virginia are shown on a flyer published by the Civil Rights Congress in 1950. In Richmond, more than 200 people, most wearing black armbands, marched to Capitol Square from a memorial meeting at Third Street Bethel AME Church. At age 37, World War II veteran Francis DeSales Grayson was the oldest of the defendants. Your email address will not be published. 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. Howard Lee Hairston, age 20, denied having sex with Floyd. Based on their confessions, the police arrested: The judge appointed seven attorneys for the seven defendants. 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. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. "I think I touched a nerve. 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. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/78661616/ruby-floyd. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. 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. After being questioned by local police officers, the defendants initially confessed to committing or witnessing the crime. And the real victim Ruby Stroud Floyd didn't even get a mention from those coon descendants of her rapists ! [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. But, none was selected for any of the seven juries, as the prosecutors rejected all of them on various grounds. All six juries convicted the young men of rape and recommended the death penalty. / CBS/AP. Julie Ditty Obituary Death: Julie DittyCause Of Death, Lara Loughlin Obituary Death: Lara LoughlinCause Of Death. There was considerable community sentiment against the men. Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, USA. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Try again later. At the time of their arrest, all but one were between the ages of 18 and 23. The young men were arrested, interrogated & charged with rape & attempted rape. In addition, each of the jury pools for the six separate trials contained some African Americans. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Their petition does not argue that the men were innocent, but says their trials were unfair and the punishment was extreme and unjust. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. "These men were executed because they were Black, and that's not right," Northam said. 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. Ruby belonged to a predominantly black neighborhood in Martinsville,. 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. [9][10] An editorial in New York's Amsterdam News read, When we consider the fact that in the entire history of the Old Dominion state, no white man has ever received capital punishment for rape, then of necessity we must conclude that the death penalty for seven men for a singular crime was neither righteous, nor compassionate, nor wise. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? "I don't want to bring that up again.". Another, from China, called the sentence a "barbaric" example of American "fascist hooliganism". 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. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. He said none of the men had attorneys present while they were interrogated. 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. Please enter your email and password to sign in. What makes the Justices so elite? (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). The remaining three were executed on February 5, 1951. "A white lady and a little colored boy came by and the lady asked where Ruth Pettie lived we all planned to get her when she came back.". The NAACP appeals also noted that since Virginia started use of the electric chair, only black men had been executed for rape in the state for what was a non-lethal crime. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? All 45 men executed in Virginias electric chair in 1951 for the crime of rape were black men convicted of assaulting white women. 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. The pardons do not address the guilt or innocence of the men, but Northam said the pardons are an acknowledgement that they did not receive due process and received a "racially-biased death sentence not similarly applied to white defendants.". Whittle.[7]. Here you'll find all collections you've created before. By the spring of 1949, all seven men were charged with rape. Eric W, Rise, an associate professor at the University of Delaware who wrote a 1995 book on the case,The Martinsville Seven: Race, Rape, and Capital Punishment,said Floyd told police she was raped by a large group of Black men and testified at all six trials. 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. [2][13] The CRC began to organize mass actions in Richmond. Thank you, Lord," he said, as he wept while being embraced by two other descendants of the men. In March, Northam, a Democrat, signed legislation passed by the Democrat-controlled legislature abolishing the state's death penalty. "But we don't really know what happened.". A physician who treated Floyd after the attack testified that she suffered a swollen lip, scratches on the back of her neck, the back of her right chest and on her buttocks. Northam said some of the defendants were impaired at the time of their arrests or unable to read confessions they signed. The image is an auction find. The case attracted national newspaper coverage. Oops, we were unable to send the email. Their trials and the electrocutions became a cause clbre similar to the Scottsboro Case of the 1930s. 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