It is not known whether Floyd is still alive and if so, where. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. The image is a Civil Rights Congress flyer for a rally in New York City in 1950. 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. 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. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. The Associated Press contributed to this report. After being questioned by local police officers, the defendants initially confessed to committing or witnessing the crime. African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. She also had abrasions on her elbows, forearms, knees, lower legs and thighs. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. They were quickly tried in six separate trials (two agreed to be tried together), and each was convicted and sentenced to death. Floyd identified two of her rapists as Grayson and Hampton, but she could not identify the others. Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, USA. Another person who wants to learn more is Denise Grayson, 46, of Raleigh, N.C., a granddaughter of Francis Grayson. All six juries convicted the young men of rape and recommended the death penalty. John S. Battle to grant clemencyall to no avail. 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. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? GREAT NEWS! Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. [8] The day before the youngest of the seven was executed, he said, "God knows I didn't touch that woman and I'll see y'all on the other side. The trial lasted for eleven days, during which the jury 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. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. That appeal failed, too, however. In December, advocates and descendants of the men asked Northam to issue posthumous pardons. The shortest was little more than half an hour. 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. "[2] The prosecution did not explicitly discuss race; it argued the case based on the "preservation of community stability, not the protection of southern womanly virtues,"[2] as had formerly been common. 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 December, advocates and descendants of the men asked Northam to issue posthumous pardons. Gravely also does not believe everything has come out about the case. 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 had previously distributed Jehovah's Witnesses materials in the neighborhood. The remaining three were electrocuted on February 5. http://revcom.us/a/098/martinsville7-en.html, http://www.blackpast.org/aah/martinsville-seven-1949-1951. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. But, she said, "It's been so long, ain't no need of digging in it now.". The low IQ low life disregard they are the biggest killers of themselves. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. What the Martinsville case lacked in legal import, it made up for politically by drawing national and worldwide attention to the death penalty as a civil-rights issue. Here's everything to know about the Martinsville Seven case: Floyd's husband, a local store manager, said she. 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. 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. Meanwhile, other demonstrators picketed the White House in support of the sevcen. It has been stated by several residents of Martinsville, Virginia that Grayson and Floyd were in a sexual relationship. Sorry! Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Try again later. Judge Kennon C. Whittle of the Martinsville Circuit Court granted requests to hold individual trials. Governor Battle listened to their claims but was unwilling to bend on the issue of the Seven, saying: "The prisoners have not been convicted because they are Negroes and should not be released because they are Negroes." Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? There are no volunteers for this cemetery. He sobbed loudly when Northam told the family members he would grant the pardons after meeting with them Tuesday. Black men executed in 1951 for the rape of a white woman granted posthumous pardons | CBC News Loaded. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. All seven men were convicted and sentenced to death within eight days. It was a dramatic shift for Virginia, a state that had the second-highest number of executions in the U.S. Based on their confessions, the police arrested: The judge appointed seven attorneys for the seven defendants. Try again later. After being held by police overnight, the first six all signed confessions, implicating themselves and each other. Martin and the NAACP also agreed to represent the men in an appeal for the Seven with the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. [2] The men were executed in early February. 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". There is a problem with your email/password. Suggest Edits . Try again. 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. At 7:30p.m., after dark, she went to Mary Wade's house for shelter, showing signs of an assault. Grayson said she once told her father that she wanted to meet her grandfather. For more information and other images, see www.flickr.com/photos/washington_area_spark/sets/72157643 Photo by Washington Daily News. ", Hodge-Muse says, "This community does not have a hateful attitude that would lend itself to violence that's not our culture, and I think it speaks well of the black and white community that we have never had that type of meanness.". Whittle.[7]. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. At age 37, World War II veteran Francis DeSales Grayson was the oldest of the defendants. To protect them from mob violence, they took them to other jails outside Henry County. 1 ranking in country. 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. The judge ruled that there was no evidence that discrimination was involved in imposing the Martinsville death sentences. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. All of the appeals by the NAACP failed. Courtesy of the D.C. Public Library Washington Star Collection Washington Post. The Library of Virginia has the letter from the lawyer, Martin, asking for execution data. On 8 January 1949, 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd was out collecting money for some clothes she had recently sold. 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. It must be tried as though both parties were members of the same race. 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. "I won't talk about that," Martin said. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Thank you, Lord," he said, as he wept while being embraced by two other descendants of the men. But the remaining three men were executed on Monday, Feb. 5. Verify and try again. At a hospital where she was examined for internal injuries, she told police that a group of black men raped her. The image is a Newspaper Enterprise Association photograph printed in a newspaper that has not been identified. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. Thank you, Lord," he said, as he wept while being embraced by two other descendants of the men. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. "I am not excusing rape. The Martinsville 7 were African-American young men accused of the rape of a white woman, Ruby Stroud Floyd, on January 8, 1949 in Martinsville, Virginia. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. 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. 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. Mrs. Thurman B. Towill, of Governor Battle's office, looks at stacks of protest letters regarding the Martinsville Seven case. based on information from your browser. 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. 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. Ruby Stroud Floyd always brought light to every room entered. By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Among the key witnesses against the men was 11-year-old Charlie Martin. Weve updated the security on the site. Photo by Henry Burroughts. All of them were tried by all-white juries. The photographer is unknown. In advance of a large planned CRC demonstration in the state capital, Governor Battle doubled the capital guard and alerted the state militia. While Ruby Stroud Floyd was being treated in hospital after the alleged rape, police arrested six suspects, and two days later a seventh. The mass executions were the largest in Virginia in modern times. Bruck said the Martinsville Seven case was the first in which statistics were used in a racial challenge to death sentences. COPYRIGHT (C) 2017 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - BLACK THEN "Thank you, Jesus. After being questioned by local police officers, the defendants initially confessed to committing or witnessing the crime. Rape is no longer a death-eligible crime in the U.S., but 60 years later, the executions of the Martinsville Seven still provoke strong feelings in Martinsville's African-American community and among death-penalty critics. "These men were executed because they were Black, and that's not right," Northam said. Persons: howard lee hairston, ruby stroud floyd , liz ryan, frank hairston, james grayson, annie hobson, booker t millner, john battle, mary wade, ruby floyd, james hairston, james luther hairston, frank hairston jr, joe henry hampton. 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. This page was last edited on 6 February 2023, at 23:13. And the real victim Ruby Stroud Floyd didn't even get a mention from those coon descendants of her rapists ! They argued for lesser sentences, but Battle resisted their pleas. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). There were six trials two defendants elected to be tried together held back to back, none of them lasting more than a day. Footage too graphic to publish shows the man . 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. The judge presiding was Kennon C. He resented being under so much pressure. In Richmond, more than 200 people, most wearing black armbands, marched to Capitol Square from a memorial meeting at Third Street Bethel AME Church. Virginia Gov. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. "These men were executed because they were Black, and that's not right," Northam said. By the spring of 1949, all seven men were charged with rape. Blacks makeup 13% of the population but commit the majority of violent crimes in this country. "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. 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