Scottsboro Boy's Museum Remodel Project

The Scottsboro Boy’s Museum and Cultural Center  commemorates the lives and legacy of nine young African American males who, in the 1930’s, became international symbols of race-based injustice in the American South. Our mission celebrates the positive actions of those of all colors, creeds and origins that have taken a stand against the tyranny of racial oppression and continue to stay committed to advancing reconciliation and healing, while promoting civil rights and an appreciation of cultural diversity worldwide.

The Scottsboro Boy’s  Case is recognized internationally as one of the most infamous in legal history. The U.S. Supreme Court twice heard arguments in the case, leading to two landmark civil-rights precedents regarding: The right to counsel & Nondiscrimination in juror rolls.

Sparking a change in U.S. Constitutional Law, The Scottsboro Boy’s Case was instrumental in sparking the Civil Rights Movement , across the country.

In the 1930s the Boy’s struggle also prompted a host of songs, dramas, artwork and poetry around the world. The Scottsboro Boy’s case is widely believed to have been an inspiration for Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird .

Currently, Information from the Scottsboro Boys Trials can be found on display at the Scottsboro Boy's Museum & Cultural Center in Scottsboro, Alabama. The center opened in 2010 in the historic Joyce Chapel United Methodist Church, adjacent to the same railroad tracks that carried the defendants from Chattanooga to Paint Rock, Alabama in March of 1931.

Recently added to the National Civil Rights Trail , along with 7 other Alabama Museums , we are looking to undergo a massive remodel in order to better represent & preserve this very important history.

Currently working with the Design Display Company  – out of Birmingham – we have begun the initial transformation process with the installation of the Trial Display, shown in the time lapse video below.

Time-lapse video of the first installment - Coming December 2020

With 18 installation displays to go, two handicap bathroom remodels – to include outdoor handicap accessibility, parking lot pavement and façade updates – we are seeking donations totaling $100,000. (proposal review available upon request)

The Scottsboro Multicultural Foundation established the Scottsboro Boy's Museum and Cultural Center in 2010. The Museum’s opening was the culmination of a 17-year effort led by Scottsboro native Shelia Washington, chairperson of the Museum and executive committee member of the Foundation, to bring honor and dignity to the lives and cases of nine black teenagers accused of raping two white women while traveling through Jackson County Alabama  on a train in 1931.

With your help, we hope to be able to better represent the Scottsboro Boys and how their historical case landed a spot on the National Civil Rights Trail, for decades to come.

All who donate towards this specific campaign will have their names etched in our contributors plaque located in the foyer - entrance - of the renovated museum. 

For tax deductible giving - The Scottsboro Boys Museum and Cultural Center is a subsidiary of the Scottsboro Multicultural Foundation. As a registered 501(c)3, your tax-deductible financial contributions help promote & foster a positive vision through historical, civic and educational endeavors.

Thank You for Your Support, 
Shelia Washington, Founder/Director