June 19 – The first Judge James E. Horton Day of Courage will be held Saturday to honor a man who, under enormous social, cultural and political pressure, went against the grain to do what was right.
Horton presided over the Morgan County retrial Haywood Patterson, who, along with eight other black youths between the ages of 12 and 19, was falsely accused of raping two white women in 1931. After eight of the boys were convicted in 1931, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the convictions in 1932. During Prosecutors’ retrial of Patterson admitted there was no rape. The all-white jury convicted Patterson anyway and sentenced him to death.
On June 22, 1933 – 91 years ago Saturday – Horton overturned the verdict, ruling that the other defendants, collectively known as the Scottsboro Boys, could not receive a fair trial at that time. In the depression era, Jim Crow South, it was a deeply unpopular decision.
“Every generation gets to see these events,” said the Rev. Wylheme H. Ragland, historian and board member of the Decatur Scottsboro Boys Civil Rights Museum. The board sponsors the Day of Courage and plans to make it an annual event.
‘For today’s generation: Steve Perkins. A generation before them was Tommy Lee Hines. Before him you have the Scottsboro Boys.”
Courage Day will be held at the Morgan County Archives, 624 Bank St. NE, from noon to 1 p.m. Retired Morgan County Circuit Judge Glenn Thompson will deliver the keynote address. Afterward, visitors are invited to view the Scottsboro Boys exhibit and other related artifacts, and a display of the Judge James E. Horton Legal Center will be unveiled.
Local author, historian and museum board member Peggy Allen Towns said Thompson was chosen to speak because he assisted in efforts to clear the names of the accused boys.
“You have to remember that the process was an international process,” Towns said. “So (Horton) received correspondence from all over the world: some in favor of the Scottsboro Boys, and most not in favor of them.
“It took a lot of courage for Judge Horton to be honest in listening to even the defense, the prosecutors. On the other side of the coin, think about his church members, his neighbors, his circle of friends. That brings a lot of pressure. .”
In addition to honoring Horton, Towns hopes the event will also remind residents to practice courage. In subsequent years, the board plans to examine the courage of others involved in the Patterson trial.
“There was a sister, Beatrice Maddox,” Towns said. “There was Clarence Watts who came from Huntsville to assist the defense – his daughter told me his family had been excluded. The Old Town community was tried every day at the risk of being fired. There was a young boy who was shot. his bicycle in Old Town during the trials and lynched: James Royal.”
Ragland wondered how the history books will view Decatur today. The city is still reeling from the killing of Steve Perkins by Decatur police in September.
“What will history say about the judge who will preside?” he asked. “What will history say about city leaders? Who will take the risk to stand up for fairness and equality? Only history will tell.
“Your family may not appreciate you. Your friends may not. Your Bible-believing church members may not. ‘But what can I say? I faced it all, and I will do it again.'”
Towns said nothing will change if society doesn’t confront it.
“Ultimately, if we do what is right, good will follow,” she said. “Our community will be better. We saw that during the Tommy Lee Hines trial, because people listened and because of the persistence of so many people.
“Let’s have the courage to do the right thing despite difficulties, despite the public clamor, despite so many things we see as obstacles. Let’s just have the tools to stand our ground and do the right thing.”
Ragland said in Decatur in the 1930s that every black parent needed to have a conversation with their children: If you walk through a white neighborhood, walk down the street. Walking on the sidewalk can be dangerous.
“Men were pelted with stones,” he said. “People were letting their dogs come at them. This is the culture. These people, who were so racist, went to worship every Sunday.”
Ragland said many people chose white culture over justice and Christ.
“We are still in discussions,” Towns added. “And that’s why it’s so important for us to know our history, because during that time we learned where to walk and where to look – we’re still having those conversations with our young black men. We still tell them how to act when a police officer stops them. We still have those conversations with our children.
Horton’s historic decision cost him his career. He moved his wife’s childhood home from Athens to a farm in Greenbrier. The house was moved to Decatur last year and will become part of the museum after renovation.
Courage Day is free to the public. Donations are welcome.
– david.gambino@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2438.
