This is the fourth installment of the Untold Series where I look at some of the most important civil rights cases. I quickly unpack their stories and why I believe they are significant. This series is an adaption to an ad hoc seminar I created while a student at Duke University School of Law.
In this video I look at Strauder v. West Virginia (1880), the first in a long line of cases dealing with discrimination in the jury selection process. Jury duty is a very important topic in the history of black rights. I believe that it is just as important, if not more, than the right the vote. And this country has a long history of intentionally excluding blacks for juries, which has allowed whites guilty of brutal crimes against black to go free (e.g. George Zimmerman). It has also led to countless blacks being sent to prison by a jury that is not comprised of their peers.
As we look to see if the murderers of Ahmaud Arbery are brought to justice, the composition of the jury will be critical. I anticipate that the defense attorney(s) will attempt to knock all the black people off the jury. Hopefully the state won’t allow it, but I’m not holding my breath.
I wrote more about the long history of discrimination on juries and you can read it here.
