Scottsboro Boys Museum and Cultural Center facts for kids
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| Established | 2010 |
|---|---|
| Location | Scottsboro, Alabama |
| Type | Public |
The Scottsboro Boys Museum is a special place located in Scottsboro, Alabama. It tells the important story of the Scottsboro Boys case. This was about nine young African American men who were wrongly accused of a crime in 1931 while traveling on a train. The museum helps people learn about this historical event and its impact.
Contents
How the Museum Started
Sheila Washington's Dream
The idea for the museum came from a woman named Sheila Washington. When she was 17, she found a book about the Scottsboro Boys. Her stepfather didn't want her to read it, thinking it was too sad for a young girl. But Sheila read it anyway, and the story stayed with her.
Later, her brother passed away in the same prison where the Scottsboro Boys had been held. This made Sheila even more determined. She promised herself, "One day, when I get older, I'm going to find a place and honor the Scottsboro Boys." She wanted to create a memorial for them.
Making the Dream a Reality
In 2000, Sheila first suggested building a museum. Many people in Scottsboro didn't want to talk about it, hoping to forget the past. Even the former mayor advised her not to try. But Sheila didn't give up. She started a group called the Scottsboro-Jackson County Multicultural Heritage Foundation. This group helped gather support and money for the museum.
Thanks to her hard work, the museum officially opened its doors on February 1, 2010.
About the Museum Building
A Historic Location
The Scottsboro Boys Museum is located in an old church building. It used to be the Joyce Chapel United Methodist Church, which was an African American church. This building is the oldest surviving African American church in the county. The church congregation closed in 2009 and allowed the museum to use their building.
The museum's location is very meaningful. It's close to the railroad tracks where the train carrying the Scottsboro Boys traveled.
Buying the Building
Soon after the museum opened, the church building went up for sale. The museum quickly raised $75,000 to buy the site. Half of the money came from the local government, and the other half from a group connected to Samuel Leibowitz, the lawyer who helped defend the Scottsboro Boys.
The museum gets financial help from the Scottsboro-Jackson County Multicultural Heritage Foundation. Other important supporters include the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, the Ford Foundation, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
What You Can See at the Museum
Exhibits and Collections
Sheila Washington gathered many of the first items for the museum herself. Later, the Black Heritage Council of the Alabama Historical Commission helped. A local historian named Garry Morgan also helped by getting items donated or buying them. He set up the first exhibits.
The museum not only shares the story of the Scottsboro Boys but also shows how their case helped start the modern American civil rights movement. Some of the items you can see include:
- A metal table used by the Scottsboro Boys in their jail cell.
- A chair used by a jury member during the trial.
- Stamps sold to raise money for their legal defense.
- Old photographs from the trial.
- Original newspaper articles about the case.
The museum also has many scrapbooks made by local people. These scrapbooks contain information that historians had never seen before. When the museum first opened, its main exhibit was a timeline of the case, showing events up until the last Scottsboro Boy passed away in 1989.
Sheila Washington was the museum's director and tour guide for many years. She passed away on January 29, 2021.
The museum is open a few hours twice a week. In its first year, about 1,200 people visited. Most visitors came from northern states, and most were white. The museum is one of eight places in Alabama that are part of the United States National Civil Rights Trail.
Museum Improvements
New Features and Programs
Since it opened, the Scottsboro Boys Museum and Cultural Center has added new exhibits and programs. They work with important scholars and universities like the University of Alabama, Alabama A&M University, Auburn University, and Tuskegee University.
In early 2020, the museum added a special room that looks like a courtroom. It shows all the main people involved in the trial. This project cost $40,000.
The museum also started a fundraising effort to celebrate its 10th anniversary. They planned to use the money for the courtroom, to add more technology, and to create new exhibits. These new exhibits would show how the Scottsboro Boys case inspired many other civil rights events. Alabama State Senator Steve Livingston donated $62,500 to the renovation project.
