Scapegoat

About the Book

In 1978, the arrest of Tommy Lee Hines, a young black man with the mental capacity of a six-year-old, shook the city of Decatur, Alabama. This gripping story chronicles the untold narrative of an intellectually disabled man who finds himself trapped in a web of systemic racism, prejudices, and a legal system that needs reforming. As the sequence of events unfold, author Peggy Allen Towns captures the tragedy of Tommy Lee Hines that inspired a movement for change. Throughout the pages of this book, you will meet courageous and extraordinary individuals who took risks and believed it was their duty to seek justice. You also will encounter hostile counter-demonstrators and their warring tempers, as they hold on to the ideology of the “Old South.” This powerful, heart-wrenching account of Decatur’s Scapegoat not only explores the sacrificial offerings, but unmasks biases and inequalities that compelled the conscience of some to take progressive steps to eradicate racial injustice. The efforts of social reform advanced equal opportunities for a more unified city in the struggle of fairness for all. And the struggle continues.

About the Author

Peggy Allen Towns is a local historian of African American history. A native of Decatur, Alabama, her passion is preserving the voices and legacy of African Americans in her home town. She lectures and facilitates workshops on genealogy, local people and historical places. She is dedicated to identifying historic places, and as a result of her efforts, several sites have been listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage and the National Register of Historic Places. She has done extensive research documenting her family’s history, which led to the discovery of a relative who served with the 110th United States Colored Infantry and the writing of her first book, Duty Driven: The Plight of North Alabama’s African Americans During the Civil War. Her second book Scottsboro Unmasked: Decatur’s Story tells about the Scottsboro Boys trials. It is the first of its genre to tell how this two landmark Supreme Court ruling case affected locals in Decatur, the site for all trials but the first.