This new musical by the legendary song-writing team of Kander and Ebb explores the infamous “Scottsboro” case of the 1930s, in which a group of African-American teenagers were unjustly accused of attacking two white women, and the boys’ attempts to prove their innocence.
What Is the Story of The Scottsboro Boys?
In rural Scottsboro, Alabama, in 1931, nine young African-Americans are pulled from a train and accused of raping two white women. Although the men (including one underage teen) are not guilty, they endure multiple trials, convictions and appeals, including several in which they are defended by a New York lawyer sent to Alabama by the Communist party. Surrounded by racism, they attempt to prevail in an infamous case that helped give rise to the modern Civil Rights movement.
