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. Despite the efforts put forth by the NAACP, four of the Martinsville Seven were electrocuted on February 2, 1951. The Martinsville 7 were seven African American men convicted of raping a white woman in 1949. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Hundreds stayed in Richmond for a prayer vigil until the executions took place. Martin and the NAACP also agreed to represent the men in an appeal for the Seven with the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. Virginias court system repeatedly rejected the NAACPs arguments and the US Supreme Court rejected the case twice without review. The seven were charged with the rape of Ruby Stroud Floyd in a black neighborhood of Martinsville, Virginia on January 8, 1949. 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. Northam said some of the defendants were impaired at the time of their arrests or unable to read confessions they signed. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. 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.". Learn more about merges. 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,. Virginia law authorized capital punishment for accessories, parties to the act of rape who did not take part in the act. By early 1951, legal strategies to save the Martinsville Seven were exhausted and the NAACP, joined by the Civil Rights Congress (CRC), turned towards a public relations campaign aimed at commuting the mens death sentences. Did You Know That Disney Released A Cartoon Featuring A Freed Slave As The Hero? 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. I'm grateful to the advocates and families of the Martinsville Seven for their dedication and perseverance. She attended Palmer Grove Baptist Church where she was honored. {{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. 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. Northam said some of the defendants were impaired at the time of their arrests or unable to read confessions they signed. You can cancel at any time. But Northam said Tuesday that the death penalty for rape was applied almost exclusively to Black people. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. 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 . This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Most of the men were between 18 and 20 years old and worked as laborers in small-scale furniture factories and warehouses. By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. [11], The case of the Martinsville Seven was taken up by outside groups, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Civil Rights Congress (CRC). ", She also asked, "How many black women have been raped in Virginia and nobody has ever been executed?" Three days later, the remaining three were also electrocuted. For example, although most African Americans in Virginia had been disenfranchised since the early 20th century and were thus disqualified from serving on juries, the grand jury had included black members. ", 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.". She said her father, her uncle and Hampton's brother visited Hampton at the jail while he was awaiting trial and that Hampton told them they were making him sleep on the cement floor without clothes. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? [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. Please enter your email and password to sign in. "Thank you, Jesus. The Court of Appeals upheld the rulings on March 13, 1950, with Chief Justice Edward W. Hudgins writing: "one can hardly conceive of a more atrocious, a more beastly crime". [8][16], On August 31, 2021, Governor Ralph Northam posthumously pardoned all seven men. 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. Newly elected Virginia Governor John S. Battle refused their request for clemency. Here you'll find all collections you've created before. 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. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, 41, and Brandy Washington tied the knot last week, a year after the couple got engaged. The hope generated by the Scottsboro campaign in the 1930s was followed by bitter setbacks in the post-World War II period. Two days later, on Sunday, 100 people picketed the White House in Washington, and Josephine Grayson, wife of Francis Grayson, unsuccessfully sought to see President Harry S. Truman. All admitted to being present at the crime, including Joe Hampton, although not all took part in rape. Thank you, Lord," he said, as he wept while being embraced by two other descendants of the men. Other demonstrations were held in Washington, D.C., New York and elsewhere in an attempt to convince President Harry S. Truman to interveneagain to no avail. What the Martinsville case lacked in legal import, it made up for politically by drawing national and worldwide attention to the death penalty as a civil-rights issue. And will be dearly missed by family, friends, and everyone. 10 free downloads. There was a problem getting your location. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Still, preparations for the executions proceeded. "[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. Blacks makeup 13% of the population but commit the majority of violent crimes in this country. 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. 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. [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. Mrs. From 1908 when Virginia began using the electric chair to 1951, state records show that all 45 people executed for rape were Black, he said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. While we can't change the past, I hope today's action brings them some small measure of peace.". If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. By the spring of 1949, all seven men were charged with rape. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Weve updated the security on the site. NAACP officials focused national attention to the case, hoping to delay or overturn the death penalty judgment. Ruby Stroud Floyd accused thirteen black men of raping her while she passed through a poor black neighborhood in Martinsville, Virginia. The last was Grayson, 38, who was pronounced dead at 8:15 that morning. 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. Do you find this information helpful? "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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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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. The photographer is unknown. Required fields are marked *. All six juries convicted the young men of rape and recommended the death penalty. "But we don't really know what happened.". 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. Rarely. Forego a bottle of soda and donate its cost to us for the information you just learned, and feel good about helping to make it available to everyone. Ruby Stroud Floyd always brought light to every room entered. Execution of black teen in 1944 shouldn't have occurred, U.S. judge rules, Man freed from prison, over racial bias in jury selection, will not face 7th murder trial, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. The young men with spotty employment records but no real criminal history soon became known as the Martinsville Seven. Please if you have any form of concern, suggestions, or query as regards this publication, kindly contact us. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. The young men were arrested, interrogated & charged with rape & attempted rape. Search above to list available cemeteries. [15] It is the largest execution for rape charges in the United States. At 7:30p.m., after dark, she went to Mary Wade's house for shelter, showing signs of an assault. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. 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. Footage too graphic to publish shows the man . 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