The Scottsboro Boys Museum and Cultural Center serves as an important monument to America's long struggle for fair justice and equality. Sheila Washington founded the Scottsboro Multicultural Foundation in 2010 to create the museum after 17 years of work. Washington wanted a monument to memorialize nine innocent African American teenagers from Scottsboro who endured legal injustice in 1931 Alabama.
The museum occupies the oldest surviving African American church in Jackson County at Joyce Chapel United Methodist Church. Its displays use real objects to show visitors the terrible experiences of the Scottsboro Boys. The museum displays crucial objects such as the metal table from the defendants' cell and the juror's chair from the trials to help visitors directly understand the painful history.
The Scottsboro Boys' legal case went before the U.S. Supreme Court several times, producing two key decisions that guaranteed every defendant a lawyer and prohibited racial prejudice in jury choices. Their choices made historical progress in civil rights and continue to be remembered today. The museum wants people to remember the Scottsboro Boys and to teach students about today's racial justice battles.
The museum partners with several higher education institutions across Alabama to create educational materials and multimedia content while working with the University of Alabama, Alabama A&M University, Auburn University, and Tuskegee University. Internship students assist in research projects and help make promotional content that helps the museum reach more people. Academics working together helps us better understand and protect our historic past.
The museum receives backing from the Ford Foundation and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, alongside the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and local groups. Through joint efforts with various organizations, the museum became a key place for historical study and cultural heritage instruction when people did not want to confront racial history. Going to the Scottsboro Boys Museum shows people important events from the civil rights movement while teaching them about the strength of those who endured against great odds.