Do the Rights Thing Film Series: Black History Month (Sun Feb 15)

Scottsboro: An American Tragedy (PBS)

Join us to mark Black History Month with a showing of the film Scottsboro: An American Tragedy (PBS). This film is a stirring and dramatic recounting of the famous trials of nine Africa-American teens, falsely accused of raping two white women aboard a box car on a train in Alabama in 1931.

The State was determined to privilege the accusations of the women over the apparently solid defence evidence but a growing movement to oppose the racism at work in the trial process arose, and can now be seen as the precursor to the civil rights movement of later decades. The struggle continued up and down the judicial ladder, yielding two decisions of the US Supreme Court that helped redefine criminal law and protections for accused persons.

Constitutional lawyer Rob Normey will offer commentary on Langston Hughes' brilliant drama, Scottsboro, as well as significant trials in Canada during this era that reveal the lack of equality rights for minorities in our nation. We will as always engage in discussion afterwards.

February 15 at 2 pm

FREE (donations welcome and a hat will be passed!)

Edmonton Public Library, White mud Crossing Branch (4211 106 Street NW)