Your email address will not be published. In his study on the case, Rise concluded that, "At a time when African-Americans were beginning to assert their civil rights vigorously, the executions provided a stark reminder of the harsh treatment reserved for blacks who violated Southern racial codes.". One of the pickets who identified himself as Richard O. Boyer of New York City, said most of the marchers were New Yorkers and the protest came from the New York Council of Arts, Sciences and Professions. Northam has now granted a total of 604 pardons since taking office in 2018, more than the previous nine governors combined, his administration announced Tuesday. He wept when Northam announced he would pardon the men. 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. Four of the Martinsville Seven were electrocuted on February 2, 1951. Tony L. Millner, vice president of the Martinsville NAACP chapter, said he was a child when it happened. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. A presentation of a bouquet of flowers is a special way of showing youre thinking of them and their loss, as the bright colours reflect the personality of the passed loved one. Since they ranged widely in experience, he asked the more experienced ones to aid the newer attorneys. 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. The prosecution pointed out that Floyd had gone to an area considered unsafe for white women, ignored warnings of black residents of staying too long there, and not been attentive to her surroundings or the men she passed. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Share. "But we don't really know what happened.". At 7:30p.m., after dark, she went to Mary Wade's house for shelter, showing signs of an assault. It is not known whether Floyd is still alive and if so, where. 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. James Walter Grayson is the son of Francis DeSales Grayson, who was one of the seven. The Associated Press contributed to this report. 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. Meanwhile, other demonstrators picketed the White House in support of the sevcen. But Northam said Tuesday that the death penalty for rape was applied almost exclusively to Black people. 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. GREAT NEWS! All but one were young and single, and all were employed three in a sawmill, one a plasterer's helper, one a stonecutter and one a foundry man. She said that she had been raped at least 13 times. All of the appeals by the NAACP failed. A system error has occurred. She also had abrasions on her elbows, forearms, knees, lower legs and thighs. It was the largest group of people executed for a single-victim crime in Virginia's history. Use code: FLICKR10. A better quality image can be found in the Fight for Racial Justice: the Civil Rights Congress (Gale) that can be accessed online through the D.C. Public Library databases, among other methods. 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. 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. Do I see a pattern here? "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. NAACP officials focused national attention to the case, hoping to delay or overturn the death penalty judgment. While Ruby Stroud Floyd was being treated in hospital after the alleged rape, police arrested six suspects, and two days later a seventh. All they are celebrating is the dismantling of White laws, laws which have held the civilised West together like glue, that once gone will herald the arrival of a new singular law, the law of the jungle the only law niggers know, and which can be perfectly summed up by Crowleys satanic epithet do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law. Previous actions by civil rights attorneys had resulted in changes in the Virginia process, improving their procedures. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. 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 . Why the Crusade on the Martinsville Seven: 1950. washingtonspark.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/1950-11-08-ma Martinsville 7 They shall not die: 1950, Martinville 7, subject of death penalty protests, later executed: 1950, Demand No Execution of Martinsville 7: 1951. www.flickr.com/photos/washington_area_spark/sets/72157643 Afro Headlines Martinsville, Va. Mass Executions: 1951, Freezing pickets call for Martinsville 7 clemency: 1951. '", She said her grandmother, Josephine Grayson, now living in Maryland, "will not speak on that at all under (any) circumstances.". And in the justices' unanimous opinion, as far as the Martinsville Seven case was concerned, "one can hardly conceive of a more atrocious, a more beastly crime.". The young men with spotty employment records but no real criminal history soon became known as the Martinsville Seven. [1] On August 31, 2021, the Governor of Virginia pardoned the convictions of all seven men, 70 years after their deaths. 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. The young men were arrested, interrogated & charged with rape & attempted rape. Still, preparations for the executions proceeded. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. [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. It must be tried as though both parties were members of the same race. After being questioned by local police officers, the defendants initially confessed to committing or witnessing the crime. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. Defense lawyers claimed that the initial confessions were forced by the local sheriff. The last was Grayson, 38, who was pronounced dead at 8:15 that morning. 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. Before their executions, protesters picketed at the White House, and the governor's office received letters from around the world asking for mercy. It's even worse than that. Their trials and the electrocutions became a cause clbre similar to the Scottsboro Case of the 1930s. Do you find this information helpful? At age 37, World War II veteran Francis DeSales Grayson was the oldest of the defendants. 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. In May, Northamannounced new steps to streamline the pardon process, including increased staff and a new petition portal that allows electronic tracking submission and tracking of pardon requests, CBS affiliate WDBJ reported. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? For more information and other images, see www.flickr.com/photos/washington_area_spark/sets/72157643 Photo by Washington Daily News. Try again later. 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 Martinsville 7 were seven African American men sentenced to death for the rape of a white woman in Virginia. Before their executions, protesters picketed at the White House, and the governor's office received letters from around the world asking for mercy. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. [2] A relative of the Hairstons has said that their family tradition always said that Floyd had been having an affair with one of the defendants, but this was not explored at trial. 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. Footage too graphic to publish shows the man . The last to be arrested, Joe Hampton, was taken into custody on January 10. 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. 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. Here's everything to know about the Martinsville Seven case: You need a Find a Grave account to continue. He was pronounced dead at 8:12 a.m. Three more executions quickly followed. [7] From 1908 to 1951, only Texas, North Carolina and Georgia executed more black men for rape than did Virginia. Please enter valid email address to continue. Switch to the dark mode that's kinder on your eyes at night time. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Add to your scrapbook. "I remember the very day the police came to the door. Each were tried and sentenced to death within an eight-day period by all-white juries. 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. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Floyd did not know where the woman lived, so she enlisted the help of 11-year-old Charlie Martin, son of a "colored" woman she knew, to guide her. 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. W.F. In Martinsville, the executions are no longer a common topic of conversation, but they remain on the minds of many African-Americans. 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. They were quickly tried in six separate trials (two agreed to be tried together), and each was convicted and sentenced to death. 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. He said, 'Well, read the book the Martinsville Seven. 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. There were no black jurors because the prosecution vetoed all potential black jurors. Verify and try again. By Tamantha / 08.31.2021 Photo: AFP via Getty Images The Civil Rights Congress and the Virginia Committee to Save the Martinsville Seven publish a flyer November 8, 1950 explaining why the Virginia case of seven black men sentenced to death was important for the fight against white supremacy. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Smyth Jr., the penitentiary superintendent, wrote a succinct response: "No white person has ever been electrocuted in Virginia for the crime of rape; or attempted rape. The original trial records, including hundreds of pages of transcripts, are on file at the Martinsville Circuit Court clerk's office. All seven men were convicted and sentenced to death within eight days. [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. You can cancel at any time. Joe Hampton, 19, and three others took turns raping Ruby Floyd, a 32-year-old white woman. Bruck said the Martinsville Seven case was the first in which statistics were used in a racial challenge to death sentences. Deputies in Davidson County rushed to help a 69-year-old man they'd found unresponsive in his house following a welfare check. 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. Three days later, the remaining three were also electrocuted. THIS is the harrowing moment vengeful villagers burned to death the alleged ringleader of a violent gang they say had been terrorising them for months. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Ruby belonged to a predominantly black neighborhood in Martinsville,. Northam said some of the defendants were impaired at the time of their arrests or unable to read confessions they signed. Ruby Stroud Floyd always brought light to every room entered. 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. 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. Judge Kennon C. Whittle of the Martinsville Circuit Court granted requests to hold individual trials. You have permission to edit this article. All Rights Reserved. By the spring of 1949, all seven men were charged with rape. 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." The campaigns to stop the legal lynching of the Martinsville 7 and Willie McGee in Mississippi were met with red-baiting and gruesome determination by the white elite to protect strict racial codes. He said none of the men had attorneys present while they were interrogated. The mass executions were the largest in Virginia in modern times. Another who believes the past is best left alone is Charlie Martin, the young boy who accompanied the victim and repeatedly testified at the trials. The campaign included picket lines, a demonstration by hundreds rallying in Richmond to try to persuade Gov. "Their punishment did not fit the crime. The image is an auction find. Within hours . There had been no threats of lynching before the trials and no disturbances after the executions. Northam has now granted a total of 604 pardons since taking office in 2018, more than the previous nine governors combined, his administration announced Tuesday. 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. "This was the Jim Crow South; this was prior to the civil-rights movement why would she be there," she asked. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The seven were charged with the rape of Ruby Stroud Floyd in a black neighborhood of Martinsville, Virginia on January 8, 1949. 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. "But to kill them and not even really know that all of them even committed this crime? View Source. Our deepest condolences and heartfelt prayers are with the family and friends. Archives Unbound. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Please join us to mourn the passing of Ruby Stroud Floyd. They should not have been executed," he added. In December, advocates and descendants of the men asked Northam to issue posthumous pardons. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password. The longest deliberations lasted less than two hours, Rise said. On January 8, 1949, a white woman named Ruby Stroud Floyd was raped in a black part of Martinsville, Virginia. "Their punishment did not fit the crime. Failed to remove flower. The remaining three were electrocuted on February 5. Virginia Gov. The Library of Virginia has the letter from the lawyer, Martin, asking for execution data. "I was maybe 10 years old, and it was very, very, very hush-hush," he said. The group of young men soon got the name The Martinsville Seven. The Martinsville 7 were seven African American men convicted of raping a white woman in 1949. And will be dearly missed by family, friends, and everyone. August 31, 2021 / 3:17 PM JavaScript is disabled. Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, USA. 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. Hundreds stayed in Richmond for a prayer vigil until the executions took place. The photographer is unknown. Listen to these niggers holding up seven rapists as though they were victims of some kind ! On January 30, 1951, 400 protesters arrived in Richmond, appealing to Battle on the issue of racial disparity in sentencing. Another, from China, called the sentence a "barbaric" example of American "fascist hooliganism". All 45 men executed in Virginias electric chair in 1951 for the crime of rape were black men convicted of assaulting white women. "I am not excusing rape. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. The victim of the rape recounted in The Martinsville Seven was Ruby Stroud Floyd, a thirty-two year old housewife who had moved to Martinsville with her husband, Glenn Floyd, a department store manager, only four years prior to the attack. To protect them from mob violence, they took them to other jails outside Henry County. [2] The men were executed in early February. Despite the letter-writing campaigns, editorials, and local vigils, newly-installed Virginia Governor John S. Battle refused clemency. Year should not be greater than current year. 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 ! 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.". 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. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Although the defense attorneys pointed out mitigating circumstances, the juries quickly convicted each defendant and sentenced them to execution in the electric chair. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Most of the men were between 18 and 20 years old and worked as laborers in small-scale furniture factories and warehouses. MARTINSVILLE -- On April 19, 1949, Judge Kennon Whittle addressed prosecutors and defense lawyers gathered in his second-floor chambers of the Henry County courthouse. The February 10, 1951 national edition of the Afro American headlines the mass execution of the Martinsville 7 in Virginia. Each man was charged with rape and aiding and abetting rape both crimes punishable by death at the time. 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. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, North Carolina, U.S., Death Indexes, 1908-2004, U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current, U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. In advance of a large planned CRC demonstration in the state capital, Governor Battle doubled the capital guard and alerted the state militia. First published on August 31, 2021 / 3:17 PM. It is a filthy, sick crime," Hodge-Muse said. 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. Rose Grayson, niece of Francis DeSales Grayson, top, comforts James Grayson, son of Francis DeSales Grayson, left, and Rudy MCollum, great nephew of Francis DeSales Grayson, one of the Martinsville Seven, after Virginia Governor Ralph Northam issued posthumous pardons for Grayson and the other six members during a ceremony inside the Patrick Henry Building in Richmond, Va., Aug. 31, 2021. Took turns raping Ruby Floyd what happened to ruby stroud floyd a white woman not have been executed, '' Hodge-Muse.. And the electrocutions became a cause clbre similar to the door on her elbows,,! Her elbows, forearms, knees, lower legs and thighs, interrogated amp! Very hush-hush, '' he added still alive and if so,.. Appealing to Battle on the minds of many African-Americans 8:15 that morning on February 2, 1951, protesters! A black neighborhood in Martinsville, the defendants initially confessed to committing or witnessing the crime rape. 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