THE DETECTIVE: Gwen Wright.

THE PLACE: Scottsboro, Alabama.

THE CASE: What is the connection between an inconspicuous black and white stamp purchased at an outdoor market and a landmark civil rights case? “Save the Scottsboro Boys” is printed on the stamp, above nine black faces behind prison bars and two arms prying the bars apart. One arm bears the tattoo “ILD.” On the bottom of the stamp is printed “one cent.” The Scottsboro Boys were falsely accused and convicted of raping two white girls in 1931 on a train near Scottsboro, Alabama. It took several appeals, two cases before the United States Supreme Court, and nearly two decades before all nine finally walked free. History Detectives delves into civil rights history and consults with a stamp expert to discover how a tiny penny stamp could make a difference in the young men’s courageous defense effort.