TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Kate Prince on Feb 16, 2021

A mural displayed at the Lawrence County Courthouse in Lawrenceburg represents one of the most significant early civil rights victories in a southern courtroom. The ‘Justice Served’ mural was painted by Bernice Davidson and unveiled in the courthouse in 2017. It features key figures from the criminal case that unfolded after 100 Black citizens were arrested during the Columbia race riot of 1946. Twenty five of those arrested would be charged, most with attempted murder. The trial would showcase the talents of several attorneys who would later go on to become household names during the Civil Rights Movement, like Nashville lawyer Z. Alexander Looby and Thurgood Marshall, before he became the first African American U.S. Supreme Court justice. An all-white jury found 23 of the 25 defendants not guilty on the attempted murder charges, a verdict that sent shockwaves through the courtroom and the country. Read more on the mural and the Columbia race riot from the Administrative Office of the Courts.