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REDHUGO H- The Rape of Recy Taylor (1944)

Landry Litel
Mrs. Duke
AP English Language and Composition
23 March 2020

The Rape of Recy Taylor (1944)
An article written by the Lily News describes a rape case dating back to 1944, the rape of Recy Taylor. Taylor was a 24-year-old African American woman at the time and was picked up and raped by more than six white men. The article touches on Taylor’s story, but mainly on the injustice that followed. The lawyer that represented the suspects told Recy Taylor’s husband, “Nigger — ain’t $600 enough for raping your wife” (The Lily). The defendants were each willing to pay $100 “if Recy Taylor would forget” (The Lily). The men that raped Taylor were never indicted for the crime they committed. This article is reliable because it is based on factual information with accounts from Rosa Parks and Recy Taylor, both involved in the case. The article informs the audience about the injustice that existed during this time and how these men were never held accountable for their actions. This is a different perspective than I have researched yet–race. These men were not found guilty because their skin color protected them. This fosters a strong rape culture in the sense that these men believe they will never have to suffer, due to the difference in skin color.
A New York Times article written by Sewell Chan also describes the rape case of Recy Taylor but goes much more in-depth. Chan appeals to the emotions of the audience as he describes the struggle Taylor went through and how she begged for her life. As if that was not enough, Chan continues stating, “The next evening, Mrs. Taylor faced new threats: White vigilantes set her porch on fire. The following day, she and her husband, Willie Guy Taylor, and their daughter, Joyce Lee, moved in with her father and siblings” (Chan). This shows these men attacked not only Taylor, but her entire family, and nothing was being done to stop them. The article also includes specifics about how one of the assaulters confessed and told who else was involved, and police still overlooked this. This article was reliable as it was also based on fact and went more in-depth to reveal the different dynamics that existed during this time. These men were able to get away with rape due to their superiority as whites versus African Americans. Not only was this a problem that had to do with rape culture, but also with discrimination and racial injustice.

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