To Kill a Mocking Bird - Racial Segregation Beats the Truth

Racial Segregation Beats the Truth

Thomas Jefferson once said "all men are created equal" but really no man is treated as an equal. In the Scottsboro trials of the early 1930's nine young African-American boys were wrongly accused of raping 2 Caucasian girls. It seems as though Harper Lee's book To Kill a Mocking Bird and the Scottsboro trial are quite similar. They both deal with racial segregation and the false accusation of the innocent. Although the jury in both situations knew all were innocent, it didn't matter and for only one reason, the color of their skin. So, many people now ask, why would someone throw an innocent man in jail, and why would someone kill a mockingbird.

So where did the Scottsboro Trial start? Ruby Bates and Victoria Price were hoboing around on trains when one of the girls stepped on a boy's foot. Soon, a fight broke out and many white boys were thrown off the train. The young boys then went and reported this to the station master, who thereafter called the cops. At the next stop the girls were found badly disguised as boys and accused 9 black boys of rape. The boys were then found and brought to jail and from there they would await their trial. Then through a series of trials, and one by one the boys were found guilty. Although overtime many were brought back to court and were innocent. But there was only a few that were fortunate, and were set free.

Harper Lee's book To Kill a Mockingbird, was an absolute masterpiece, but may have taken inspiration from the Scottsboro Trials. In both stories, the whites used their superiority over blacks to bring down the innocent. Tom Robinson wasn't even thought of as innocent by many, because of the color of his skin. In both stories the victims were white girls and in the Jim Crow south if a black man even looked at a white woman he might as well have been accused of rape. Also , these girls like Mayella Ewell in TKM use the black boys to cover up for their mistake of running away, just as Bob Ewell uses Tom to cover up for his obscene actions. So, everybody knows who is truthful but really no one cares.

So, why would anyone throw an innocent black man in jail? White men treat blacks like this because all whites crave superiority and their pride is their number 1 priority. The last thing any of them would do is show some sort of mercy towards a black man. They love making there "underdogs" feel unappreciated and inferior. The white men wanted to rule the world at this point in history. They all felt that they were the best and no black man was going to bring them down. "It's as simple as black and white." said Atticus in TKM and just like the Scottsboro trials it was that simple. The case was already decided before anyone spoke, because the defendants were black, not because the evidence said guilty.

To kill a mockingbird is a sin, because