In 1931, nine Black teenagers were accused of raping two white women while train hopping in Tennessee. Despite their young ages, ranging from 13 to 20, all but one were convicted of rape and sentenced to death in rushed trials held in Scottsboro, Alabama. With the help of groups like the NAACP, the case was appealed to the Supreme Court, where the Powell v. Alabama decision in 1932 ordered new trials for the Scottsboro nine. The case highlighted the injustice of the legal system towards Black Americans, who were often tried by all-white juries and sentenced with little or no evidence.