In this key civil rights and social justice book for young readers, Scipio Africanus Jones—a self-taught attorney who was born enslaved—leads a momentous series of court cases to save twelve Black men who'd been unjustly sentenced to death.
In October 1919, a group of Black sharecroppers met at a church in an Arkansas village to organize a union. Bullets rained down on the meeting from outside. Many were killed by a white mob, and others were rounded up and arrested. Twelve of the sharecroppers were hastily tried and sentenced to death. Up stepped Scipio Africanus Jones, a self-taught lawyer who'd been born enslaved. Could he save the men's lives and set them free? Through their in-depth research and consultation with legal experts, award-winning nonfiction authors Sandra and Rich Wallace examine the complex proceedings and an unsung African American early civil rights hero.---from the publisher
144 pages 978-1629798165 Ages 10-14
Keywords: 20th century, American history, civil rights, prejudice and racism, social justice, lawyer, African American and Black nonfiction, heroes, power of the individual, role of the individual, law and crime, narrative nonfiction, diversity, diverse books, 10 year old, 11 year old, 12 year old, 13 year old, 14 year old