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. 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. It's even worse than that. While Ruby Stroud Floyd was being treated in hospital after the alleged rape, police arrested six suspects, and two days later a seventh. 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. 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. Defense lawyers claimed that the initial confessions were forced by the local sheriff. All seven men were convicted and sentenced to death within eight days. 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. 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. Learn more about merges. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Ruby Stroud Floyd I found on Findagrave.com. 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. "No one believed they should get off free " she said. At 7:30p.m., after dark, she went to Mary Wade's house for shelter, showing signs of an assault. John S. Battle to grant clemency to no avail. '", She said her grandmother, Josephine Grayson, now living in Maryland, "will not speak on that at all under (any) circumstances.". All Rights Reserved. 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, Virginia, on January 8, 1949, to collect money for clothes she had sold. NAACP officials focused national attention to the case, hoping to delay or overturn the death penalty judgment. Four of the men were executed in Virginia's electric chair on Feb. 2, 1951. The preliminary hearing occurred about a month later, and the grand jury two months after that. [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. Defense lawyers argued that Floyd had consented to sexual intercourse by failing to forcibly resist the men and that the initial confessions were forced by the local sheriff. It was the largest mass execution for rape that had been reported in the United States. northern cricket league professionals; breaux bridge jail inmates; virtualbox ubuntu failed to start snap daemon; len and brenda credlin 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. Another, from China, called the sentence a "barbaric" example of American "fascist hooliganism". I will not have it otherwise.". Unanimous juries recommended death sentences at the end of each trial. He sobbed loudly when Northam told the family members he would grant the pardons after meeting with them Tuesday. You must log in or register to reply here. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Grayson said she once told her father that she wanted to meet her grandfather. Share. "But to kill them and not even really know that all of them even committed this crime? 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 . 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. 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. 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 . 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. JavaScript is disabled. 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 ! 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 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. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. 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. 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. You can always change this later in your Account settings. 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. Required fields are marked *. The image is a Civil Rights Congress flyer for a rally in New York City in 1950. "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. Later, three other men, Francis DeSales Grayson, John Clabon Taylor and James Luther Hairston joined the other four in the assault, according to the confessions. There had been no threats of lynching before the trials and no disturbances after the executions. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. The group of young men soon got the name The Martinsville Seven. The Spotsylvania County Sheriffs Office has decided to end its participation on a national television show, at least for now. Man died Wednesday. 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. [8][16], On August 31, 2021, Governor Ralph Northam posthumously pardoned all seven men. Two of the men were tried together. 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. Cause of death Details of the circumstance surrounding our beloved, Ruby Stroud Floyddeath is not public yet, we will share more as we learn. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. 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], The officials separated the men. Martin A. Martin of the Richmond law firm Hill, Martin and Robinson, was the lead attorney for the appellate defense team for the NAACP in Virginia, as his firm had considerable experience with civil rights cases. For the first time, records were kept at a central location. Meanwhile, other demonstrators picketed the White House in support of the sevcen. She also had abrasions on her elbows, forearms, knees, lower legs and thighs. Virginia law authorized capital punishment for accessories, parties to the act of rape who did not take part in the act. In March, Northam, a Democrat, signed legislation passed by the Democrat-controlled legislature abolishing the state's death penalty. Two weeks after Whittle's warning, the Martinsville defendants were convicted and sentenced to join them. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. The judge ruled that there was no evidence that discrimination was involved in imposing the Martinsville death sentences. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. "It means so much to me," he said of the pardon. Courtesy of the D.C. Public Library Washington Star Collection Washington Post. 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. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Switch to the dark mode that's kinder on your eyes at night time. He kissed us and they took him away," he told The Associated Press in an interview after the announcement. I'm grateful to the advocates and families of the Martinsville Seven for their dedication and perseverance. 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. Most of the men were between 18 and 20 years old and worked as laborers in small-scale furniture factories and warehouses. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. 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 . Fired RPS employee sues school district, alleges misuse of federal funds. "My daddy was Hampton's uncle," she said. cemeteries found in Duplin County, North Carolina, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. In December, advocates and descendants of the men asked Northam to issue posthumous pardons. James Walter Grayson is the son of Francis DeSales Grayson, who was one of the seven. 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. 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. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? 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. You can directly shop your flowers on Amazon. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Floyd's husband, a local store manager, said she. Former NFL star Chad Johnson says he saved money by living inside Cincinnati Bengals stadium for 2 years. The juries were all white and all male. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Grayson said he was 4 years old when his father was executed. Why do libtards treat niggers better than they treat themselves? 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. If people like George Floyd really did die "simply for being black," how can we doubt that black men in the . Oops, something didn't work. 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. The Library of Virginia has the letter from the lawyer, Martin, asking for execution data. After being questioned by local police officers, the defendants initially confessed to committing or witnessing the crime. The original trial records, including hundreds of pages of transcripts, are on file at the Martinsville Circuit Court clerk's office. On January 8, 1949, a white woman named Ruby Stroud Floyd was raped in a black part of Martinsville, Virginia. She had previously distributed Jehovah's Witnesses materials in the neighborhood. After Virginia became a state and until the end of the Civil War, state law allowed only blacks to receive a death sentence for rape. While we can't change the past, I hope today's action brings them some small measure of peace. 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. Ralph Northam, left, looks over the. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. To use this feature, use a newer browser. 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." 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. In a news release, Northam said the pardons were not about whether the men were guilty, but it was "recognition from the Commonwealth" that the men did not receive adequate due process. There were no black jurors because the prosecution vetoed all potential black jurors. Search above to list available cemeteries. "These men were executed because they were Black, and that's not right," Northam said. Eight days the end of each trial the death penalty son of Francis grayson... Due to too many failed sign in attempts account settings the sevcen his father was.. 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