The Groveland Boys, Walter Irvin, Samuel Shepherd, Charles Greenlee, and Ernest Thomas.
“Devil in the Grove” by Gilbert King for the Impatient Reader
In the racially charged atmosphere of 1949 Florida, “Devil in the Grove” by Gilbert King unveils the gripping true story of four young African American men falsely accused of raping a white woman, and the heroic efforts of Thurgood Marshall to defend them.
The Groveland Boys case was a significant, racially charged legal incident in Florida during the Jim Crow era. Here are some key points about Walter Irvin, Samuel Shepherd, Charles Greenlee, and Ernest Thomas:
Arrest and Accusations: In 1949, these four young African American men were accused of raping a white woman, Norma Padgett, in Lake County, Florida. The accusation sparked outrage and prompted a rapid, prejudiced response from law enforcement.
Trial and Convictions: Despite a lack of concrete evidence and dubious testimony, the men were swiftly convicted by all-white juries. Samuel Shepherd and Walter Irvin received death sentences, while Charles Greenlee was sentenced to life in prison. Ernest Thomas initially escaped and was later captured and shot by a posse, leading to his death.
Thurgood Marshall’s Involvement: Thurgood Marshall, the future Supreme Court Justice and then-chief counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, took an interest in the case. He sought justice for the Groveland Boys and appealed their convictions, highlighting the unfair trial and racial bias.
Supreme Court Intervention: The Supreme Court overturned the convictions of Shepherd and Irvin in 1951, citing gross mishandling of the case and a denial of due process rights. However, before a retrial could take place, Shepherd was killed by a sheriff while being transported, and Irvin was again convicted, despite serious doubts about the fairness of the trial.
Legacy: The Groveland Boys case highlighted the deep-seated racism within the criminal justice system at the time and the struggles African Americans faced in obtaining fair trials in the segregated South. It became a symbol of injustice and a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement.
The story of the Groveland Boys remains a poignant reminder of the systemic racism and miscarriages of justice that characterized the era, and their case continues to be studied and remembered in the context of America’s civil rights history.
Florida judge posthumously clears Groveland Four of any wrongdoing
23 nov 2021
1 Fla. Lawmakers Apologize to Family of “Groveland Four,” Black Men Falsely Accused of Rape in 1949
http://democracynow.org – Florida lawmakers have apologized for what happened to four young African-American men in Groveland, Florida, nearly 70 years ago in 1949. The men, known as the Groveland Four, were falsely accused of raping a 17-year-old white girl. Before going to trial, one of the four men, Ernest Thomas, was hunted down and murdered by a mob of 1,000 men led by the local sheriff, Willis McCall. He was killed in a hail of gunfire. The other three men were tortured in jail until two of them gave false confessions. Charles Greenlee was sentenced to life. Walter Irvin and Samuel Shepherd were condemned to death. Just recently, Florida lawmakers passed a resolution saying, “We’re truly sorry.” For more, we speak with Gilbert King, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, “Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America.”
Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs weekdays on nearly 1,400 TV and radio stations
2 Thurgood Forums – Devil in the Grove
3 The Groveland Four: Florida Pardons Men Falsely Accused in Jim Crow-Era Rape Case in 1949
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14 jan 2019
https://democracynow.org –
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has granted posthumous pardons to four young African-American men accused of raping a white woman near Groveland, Florida, in 1949. Two men were brutally murdered as a result of the false accusations. The case is now seen as a racially charged miscarriage of justice emblematic of the Jim Crow South. The story of the “Groveland Four,” now 70 years old, has continued to haunt the state of Florida. We speak with Gilbert King, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America,” and Carol Greenlee, daughter of Charles Greenlee, one of the Groveland Four.
4 Florida clears Groveland Four of 1949 rape of white woman
23 nov 2021
Florida has formally cleared four Black men who were falsely accused of raping a white woman more than seven decades ago.
5 Groveland 4, Journey to Exoneration Trailer | WFTV
6 Mabel Norris Reese exposed truth about Groveland Four
It was a case that made headlines and one that highlighted reporter Mabel Norris Reese.
7 ‘Devil in the Grove’ author talks about Groveland 4 pardon on The Weekly
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20 jan 2019
After nearly 70 years, all four members of the Groveland Four — four black men who were falsely accused of raping a 17-year-old white woman in Lake County — were pardoned by the Florida Clemency Board last week.
The case inspired the 2013 Pulitzer Prize-winning book “Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America,” which offered eye-opening details about the racial injustice that ensued in the days following the accusation.
The book’s author, Gilbert King, joined anchor Justin Warmoth on “The Weekly on ClickOrlando.com” to talk about the pardoning.
8 State pardons wrongly accused Groveland Four 70 years later
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State pardons wrongly accused Groveland Four
19 apr 2017
The Florida House has put forth a resolution apologizing for the grave injustices that were done to the Groveland Four.
Florida State Senators, State Representatives, Gilbert King (Author of Devil in the Grove), authors, and family members of the Groveland Four speak about this dark chapter in Florida’s history
10 “Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys and the Dawn of a New America,” | 2015
1 jan 2017
This event took place at the Clinton School of Public Service on May 4th, 2015.
Gilbert King is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys and the Dawn of a New America.” The book, about four black men falsely accused of raping Norma Lee Padgett, a 17-year-old white woman in Groveland, Fla. in 1949, unearthed a largely forgotten chapter in the long history of racial injustice in the United States, and explored, in painstaking details, the tactics used by Thurgood Marshall, the future Supreme Court Justice, to chip away at the foundations of Jim Crow law. King will be joined by Thurgood Marshall, Jr., a lawyer and the son of the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, for a moderated discussion about the case of the Groveland Boys and the work of Justice Thurgood Marshall.
11 Thurgood Marshall’s Defense of Death Penalty Cases (s1d)
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19 sep 2014
Capital Punishment: Race, Poverty, & Disadvantage with Stephen Bright
Thurgood Marshall’s Defense of Death Penalty Cases (s1d)
Author Gilbert King describes the case of four young African American men charged with the rape of a white woman in Florida in 1949, based on his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America. Thurgood Marshall and other lawyers from the NAACP assumed responsibility for the defense.
12 City of Groveland apologizes to families of ‘Groveland Four’
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An apology more than 60 years in the making makes an historic step for clearing the names in the “Groveland Four.”
13 Four Florida men pardoned for racially-charged 1949 rape conviction
14 Groveland Four memorial unveiled in Lake County
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The Groveland Four memorial was unveiled Friday in Lake County.
15’Groveland Four’ to be exonerated in 1949 rape
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The push to clear the names of four African-American men charged with rape more than 60 years ago is getting the support from the mayor of Groveland.
The Florida Cabinet met for the first time as the state Clemency Board Friday, where they heard from family members of the men who were either imprisoned, tortured or murdered by mobs and a racist sheriff. The Groveland Four matter was only supposed to be up for discussion and families were not expecting to hear a vote today. But at the very end of the meeting, Gov. Ron DeSantis called for a vote.
18 The Groveland Four: Correcting the Record 72 Years Later. Courtroom, plus Press Conf. 11-22-2021
6 dec 2021
Groveland Four
.
Following the motion to dismiss filed by State Attorney Bill Gladson of the Florida’s Fifth
Judicial Circuit, a hearing was scheduled for Monday, Nov. 22 at 9:30 a.m.
If the Court granted State Attorney Gladson’s motion, Charles Greenlee, Walter Irvin, Samuel
Shepherd, and Ernest Thomas would again be innocent in the eyes of the law — more than 72
years after they were first accused.
Directly after the hearing, there was a press conference where State Attorney Bill Gladson,
Groveland Four family members, and other advocates will speak. The press conference took place in Lake County’s former courthouse, near the Groveland Four Memorial that
was dedicated in February 2020.
Hearing – Lake County Courthouse (Courtroom 4D)
550 W. Main Street, Tavares, FL
32778
Press Conference – 315 W. Main Street, Tavares, FL 32778
The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program documented the hearing and press conference, and conducted interviews [Marna Weston]
with:
State Attorney Bill Gladson
Thurgood Marshall Jr.
State Representative Geraldine F. Thompson
State Representative Bobby B. DuBose
Gerald Threat, a nephew of Walter Irvin
Attorney Harley Herman
Ms. Sherry DuPree
Produced by the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program
University of Florida
Program director Paul Ortiz, PhD.
352 392-7168
http://oral.history.ufl.edu
Photos by Laura Tomayo, SPOHP
Interviewer: Mr. Marna Weston
Photography: Ms. Laura Tomayo
Produced by the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program
University of Florida
Program director Paul Ortiz, PhD.
352 392-7168
http://oral.history.ufl.edu
241 Pugh Hall
University of Florida
Cat. No. AAHP 863A Courtroom verdict and comments 11-22-2021
December, 2021
19 FULL: 04.18.2017 – Florida House Addresses The Groveland Four
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19 apr 2017
The Florida House has put forth a resolution apologizing for the grave injustices that were done to the Groveland Four.
Florida State Senators, State Representatives, Gilbert King (Author of Devil in the Grove), authors, and family members of the Groveland Four speak about this dark chapter in Florida’s history.
20 Groveland 4 posthumously cleared of wrongful convictions
21 Groveland 4, Journey to Exoneration Trailer | WFTV
22 Author Gilbert King Describes “Devil in the Grove” Case
23 Devil in the Grove by Gilbert King.m4v
24 Blind Cop Traffic Jam Prank
15 mrt 2011
A blind police officer directs a cars in a roundabout and creates a pretty terrible traffic jam.
19 apr 2017
The Florida House has put forth a resolution apologizing for the grave injustices that were done to the Groveland Four.
Florida State Senators, State Representatives, Gilbert King (Author of Devil in the Grove), authors, and family members of the Groveland Four speak about this dark chapter in Florida’s history.