ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates how the role of race, class, and gender influenced how a Black girl was perceived by the larger community, both Black and white, and the punishment that followed. It discusses the role that socioeconomic class plays in shaping both court and social opinion of both the victim and the accused. Further, the chapter examines the role of the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs in organizing and mobilizing around the court’s decision to sentence Virginia Christian to death.
