The juries were all white and all male. 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. There is a problem with your email/password. 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 . She passed four men at the railroad tracks and continued into the neighborhood, where she was later assaulted by some of those four and other men. At the time of their arrest, all but one were between the ages of 18 and 23. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. 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. It may not display this or other websites correctly. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Although the defense attorneys pointed out mitigating circumstances, the juries quickly convicted each defendant and sentenced them to execution in the electric chair. Reached by telephone, she said her family will not talk about her grandfather or what happened. New York Public Library. One of the convicted men's parents contacted the CRC directly and asked one of its lawyers to defend their son DeSales Grayson. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. 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. I'm grateful to the advocates and families of the Martinsville Seven for their dedication and perseverance. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. He kissed us and they took him away," he told The Associated Press in an interview after the announcement. Family members linked to this person will appear here. At a hospital where she was examined for internal injuries, she told police that a group of black men raped her. The Martinsville Seven were a group of seven African-American men from Martinsville, Virginia, who were convicted and executed in 1951 for raping a white woman in 1949. Eric W. Rise, author of "The Martinsville Seven, Race, Rape and Capital Punishment" and a professor of criminal justice at the University of Delaware, said prospective black jurors were excused for expressing reservations about the death penalty or struck by prosecutors. The mass executions were the largest in Virginia in modern times. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. When she and the boy returned, Hampton said he grabbed her and the others joined in the assault, according to his confession. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/78661616/ruby-floyd. 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. Oops, we were unable to send the email. At the time of their arrest, all but one was between the ages of 20 and 23. 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. Four of the seven testified at their own trials. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. He was appalled at the nature of the crime.[2]. 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. Unanimous juries recommended death sentences at the end of each trial. "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. Grayson said he was fouryears old when his father was executed. If people like George Floyd really did die "simply for being black," how can we doubt that black men in the . This account has been disabled. I suppose that's how the electric nigglet was found innocent too. "I think I touched a nerve. But Hodge-Muse, Millner and others also believe that not all the facts came out during the trials and that there are many unanswered questions. 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 . Two weeks after Whittle's warning, the Martinsville defendants were convicted and sentenced to join them. [15] It is the largest execution for rape charges 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. (Figures for 1949 are not available, but one-third of the 1,505 rape victims in the state in 2009 were black women. She said that she had been raped at least 13 times. 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. Only one of the accused had a prior criminal record, and most of the men were employed. The first four were executed at 15-minute intervals on February 2. 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. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Please subscribe to keep reading. 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." 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. 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. Image courtesy of Papers of the Civil Rights Congress. "We all deserve a criminal justice system that is fair, equal, and gets it right no matter who you are or what you look like," he 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 neighborhood in. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid, Fiery train crash in Greece kills at least 36, injures some 85, Garland to face Congress amid ongoing special counsel investigations, FBI chief says agency feels pandemic likely started with Chinese lab leak, House select committee hearing paints China as a strategic antagonist, JetBlue flight forced to abort landing in close call at Logan Airport, Three officers shot, standoff follows in Kansas City, Mo., police say, Vanessa Bryant, family settles claims over Kobe crash site photos for $28.5M, Bald eagle couple lays new egg after losing eaglets two years in a row, Supreme Court hears case on race and the death penalty. 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.". Now they've been pardoned | CNN, Shocking moment thief is burned to death by villagers who say he led a violent gang. He is now in his 70s and lives just outside the city of Martinsville. Pickets parade in front of the White House Jan. 30, 1951, in an effort to persuade President Truman to halt execution of seven black men sentenced to death in Virginia on charges of raping a white woman. %privacy_policy%. Four of the men were executed in Virginia's electric chair on February 2, 1951. He resented being under so much pressure. 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". In this January 30, 1951 file photo, as temperatures drop below freezing, demonstrators march in front of the White House in Washington, in what they said was an effort to persuade President Harry Truman to halt execution of seven Black men sentenced to death in Virginia on charges of raping a white woman. While Ruby Stroud Floyd was being treated in hospital after the alleged rape, police arrested six suspects, and two days later a seventh. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The campaign included picket lines, post cards and telegrams, a demonstration by hundreds rallying in Richmond to try to persuade Gov. In advance of a large planned CRC demonstration in the state capital, Governor Battle doubled the capital guard and alerted the state militia. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Three days later, the remaining three were also electrocuted. 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. Failed to report flower. [2][13] The CRC began to organize mass actions in Richmond. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. He sobbed loudly when Northam told the family members he would grant the pardons after meeting with them Tuesday. 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. 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. Black men executed in 1951 for the rape of a white woman granted posthumous pardons | CBC News Loaded. The police first arrested Frank Hairston, Jr. and Booker T. Millner, and soon picked up James Luther Hairston, Howard Lee Hairston, John Clabon Taylor, Francis DeSales Grayson, then James Henry Hampton as additional suspects. W.F. Blacks makeup 13% of the population but commit the majority of violent crimes in this country. "This was the Jim Crow South; this was prior to the civil-rights movement why would she be there," she asked. 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. How To Unsubscribe From Emails and Push Notifications. She had previously distributed Jehovah's Witnesses materials in the neighborhood. They argued for lesser sentences, but Battle resisted their pleas. "I remember the very day the police came to the door. She attended Palmer Grove Baptist Church where she was honored. 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. James Walter Grayson is the son of Francis DeSales Grayson, who was one of the seven. They noted the assaults of Floyd had no evidence of homicidal intent. 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. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, 41, and Brandy Washington tied the knot last week, a year after the couple got engaged. X27 ; s Witnesses materials in the state militia end of each trial she. Of this 8 x 11, one-sided, flyer, see flic.kr/s/aHsjWUExj5 is burned to death by villagers who he. She and the others joined in the assault, according to his confession the Civil Rights Congress we would to. 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