Nine Black teenagers are arrested in Alabama and falsely accused of raping two white women, beginning a decade of trials.
At a Glance
- Date
- 25 March 1931
- Location
- Scottsboro, Alabama
- Key people
- The Scottsboro Boys
- Category
- Law & Justice
- Source
- Powell v. Alabama (1932); Norris v. Alabama (1935) · Britannica
What It Meant Then
Their case exposed the injustice of all-white juries and produced landmark Supreme Court rulings on due process and jury exclusion.
What It Means Now
The Scottsboro case remains a defining example of racism in the American legal system.
Also on 25 March
Cite this page
- MLA
- “The Scottsboro Boys Are Arrested.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-scottsboro-boys-are-arrested/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). The Scottsboro Boys Are Arrested. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-scottsboro-boys-are-arrested/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “The Scottsboro Boys Are Arrested.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-scottsboro-boys-are-arrested/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.