RACE AGAINST TIME

An African American lawyer takes on the difficult task of defending a group of Black men sentenced to death.

When Black soldiers returned from World War I, many attempted to improve their lives, including a group of sharecroppers in Arkansas determined to unionize. A gathering at a church was fired upon, and one White law officer was killed. The violence escalated when local officials encouraged White men from other states to come and take up arms against Blacks. All this occurred during the nation’s “Red Summer” of 1919. The number of Black people killed in this area of Arkansas was thought to be in the hundreds, but it was the deaths of five Whites that resulted in speedy trials, convictions, and death row sentences. The attorney who stepped up to seek justice for the group known as the Elaine Twelve was Scipio Africanus Jones, from Little Rock. For the next five years, Jones used his knowledge, energy, and money to keep 12 innocent men from being executed and ultimately prevailed while the Black press covered his efforts. This gripping story shines a light on another hidden hero of the struggle for rights for African Americans. An important, well-researched narrative, rich in historical context, is enhanced by archival photographs and glimpses into the lives of working men and women who sought economic fairness and the protections of the United States Constitution.

A powerful story of tireless determination for justice in the face of overwhelming odds.