VISION
The CEOTA Scottsboro Boy’s Museum will be a world-class interactive Civil Rights Museum located in Decatur, Alabama. The Museum will acknowledge the importance of the Scottsboro Boys trials in Decatur and capture the historic legal courage of Judge James E. Horton, Jr. in setting aside an unjust jury verdict. The Museum will be located in the “Old Town” neighborhood of Decatur, Alabama, and will honor “Old Town’s” rich heritage.
Through physical and virtual exhibits, the Museum will illuminate the community's role in advancing Civil Rights history and the important Supreme Court decisions that resulted from these trials. Arising from the Scottsboro Boys trials, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the right of all people to have adequate legal representation and that no person should be excluded from serving on a jury, based upon race.
The Museum will be located at the Northernmost end of the Alabama Civil Rights Trail. The Museum will serve the entire North Alabama area, including Huntsville, Madison, and the Quad Cities, as well as Universities and colleges, including Alabama A&M University, The University of Alabama Huntsville, Oakwood University, Athens State University, and Calhoun Community College.
The Museum will focus on the trials and their place in U.S. legal history. The Supreme Court decisions that arose from these cases set the stage for the Supreme Court cases that arose a generation later during the Civil Rights era. In keeping with the legal focus of the Museum, we plan to house a Legal Institute for high school and pre-law student workshops and seminars.
Exhibits from local artists that capture the unity and legacy of Decatur, Alabama will be on display, as well as art seminars, guest speakers, and visiting legal scholars and artists. Museums exhibits and seminars will champion lifelong learning, promote inclusive engagement across diverse audiences, support community collaboration, and foster civic discourse