Devil in the grove : Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the dawn of a new America

Arguably the most important American lawyer of the twentieth century, Thurgood Marshall was on the verge of bringing the landmark suit Brown v. Board of Education before the U.S. Supreme Court when he became embroiled in an explosive and deadly case that threatened to change the course of the civil rights movement and cost him his life.In 1949, Floridas orange industry was booming, and citrus barons got rich on the backs of cheap Jim Crow labor. To maintain order and profits, they turned to Willis V. McCall, a violent sheriff who ruled Lake County with murderous resolve. When a white seventeen-year-old Groveland girl cried rape, McCall was fast on the trail of four young blacks who dared to envision a future for themselves beyond the citrus groves. By days end, the Ku Klux Klan had rolled into town, burning the homes of blacks to the ground and chasing hundreds into the swamps, hell-bent on lynching the young men who came to be known as the Groveland Boys. And so began the chain of events that would bring Thurgood Marshall, the man known as Mr. Civil Rights, into the deadly fray. Associates thought it was suicidal for him to wade into the Florida Terror at a time when he was irreplaceable to the burgeoning civil rights movement, but the lawyer would not shrink from the fightnot after the Klan had murdered one of Marshalls NAACP associates involved with the case and Marshall had endured continual threats that he would be next. Drawing on a wealth of never-before-published material, including the FBIs unredacted Groveland case files, as well as unprecedented access to the NAACPs Legal Defense Fund files, King shines new light on this remarkable civil rights crusader, setting his rich and driving narrative against the heroic backdrop of a case that U.S. Supreme Court justice Robert Jackson decried as one of the best examples of one of the worst menaces to American justice. ϡ쯦랠 In 1949, Florida's Orange Industry Was Booming With Cheap Jim Crow Labor. When A White Seventeen-year-old Groveland Girl Cried Rape, Vicious Sheriff Mccall Was Fast On The Trail Of Four Young Blacks Who Dared To Envision A Future For Themselves. Then The Ku Klux Klan Rolled Into Town, Burning Homes And Chasing Hundreds Of Blacks Into The Swamps. So Began The Chain Of Events That Would Bring Thurgood Marshall, The Man Known As Mr. Civil Rights, Into The Fray. Associates Thought It Was Suicidal For Him To Wade Into The Florida Terror At A Time When He Was Irreplaceable To The Burgeoning Civil Rights Movement, But The Lawyer Would Not Shrink From The Fight--not After The Klan Had Murdered One Of Marshall's Naacp Associates And Marshall Had Endured Threats That He Would Be Next. Drawing On A Wealth Of Never-before-published Material, Including The Fbi's Unredacted Groveland Case Files, As Well As The Naacp's Legal Defense Fund Files, King Shines New Light On This Remarkable Civil Rights Crusader Against A Heroic Backdrop.--from Publisher Description. Prologue -- Mink Slide -- Sugar Hill -- Get To Pushin' -- Nigger In A Pit -- Trouble Fixin' To Start -- A Little Bolita -- Wipe This Place Clean -- A Christmas Card -- Don't Shoot, White Man -- Quite A Hose Wielder -- Bad Egg -- Atom Masher -- In Any Fight Some Fall -- My Own Curiosity -- You Have Pissed In My Whiskey -- It's A Funny Thing -- No Man Alive Or To Be Born -- All Over The Place, Like Rats -- Knows More Law -- A Genius Here Before Us -- The Colored Way -- A Place In The Sun -- Epilogue. Gilbert King. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [413]-416) And Index. Chronicles a little-known court case in which Thurgood Marshall successfully saved a black citrus worker from the electric chair after the worker was accused of raping a white woman with three other black men